automaton

/ɔːˈtɒmətən/

//ɔːˈtɒmətən// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"automaton" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“automaton” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,534. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,534
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions.

Corpus desk

Index EN-automaton · automaton · English

automaton · rank #42,534 · 12 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,534
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH authentically

Nearest frequency peer: authentically (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “automaton”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “automaton” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

automaton vs automate
78% similar
automaton vs automata
78% similar
automaton vs automatic
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for automaton
PropertyValue
Headwordautomaton
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɔːˈtɒmətən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#42,534
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “automaton”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).automatonlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “authentically” (#42,533), “Atwater” (#42,532), “backflip” (#42,538). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “automaton” is #42,534. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around automaton (IPA /ɔːˈtɒmətən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,534 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for automaton, with forms such as "atuomaton", "auotmaton", and "autmoaton". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "automate", "automata", "automatic", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek αὐτόματον (autómaton), neuter of αὐτόματος (autómatos, “self moving, self willed”). Doublet of automat. The correct English form is automaton, spelled A-U-T-O-M-A-T-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions.
  2. 2
    A person who acts like a machine or robot, often defined as having a monotonous lifestyle and lacking in emotion.
  3. 3
    A formal system, such as a finite-state machine or cellular automaton.
  4. 4
    A toy in the form of a mechanical figure.
  5. 5
    The self-acting power of the muscular and nervous systems, by which movement is effected without intelligent determination.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how automaton appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Nick had heard her play through the very beginning of it a dozen times, until he was screaming at her in his head to go on. Well, now she did, watching her own hands busying up and down the keyboard as if they were astonishing automata that she had wound up and set in motion, in perfect synchrony, to produce this silvery flow of sound.
  2. Due to her strict adherence to her daily schedule, Jessica was becoming more and more convinced that she was an automaton.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek αὐτόματον (autómaton), neuter of αὐτόματος (autómatos, “self moving, self willed”). Doublet of automat.

This word in other languages

autómata(Español)automate(Français)Automat(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atuomaton
  • auotmaton
  • autmoaton
  • autoamton
  • automaotn
  • automatno
  • automatonn
  • automatton
  • autommaton
  • automtaon
  • auttomaton
  • uatomaton

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of automaton - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

atuomaton2auotmaton2autmoaton2autoamton2automaotn2automatno2automatonn1automatton1
Edit distance from "automaton"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "automaton"?
"automaton" is spelled A-U-T-O-M-A-T-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɔːˈtɒmətən/.
What does "automaton" mean?
As a noun, "automaton" means: A machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions.
What words are commonly confused with "automaton"?
"automaton" is commonly confused with "automate", "automata", "automatic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "automaton"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "automaton" is /ɔːˈtɒmətən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "automaton"?
From Ancient Greek αὐτόματον (autómaton), neuter of αὐτόματος (autómatos, “self moving, self willed”). Doublet of automat. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "automaton", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Beresford#42,545analgesic#42,520adenosine#42,509yardstick#42,500

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

bathrobe12 variantsBerliner12 variantsbiathlon12 variantsalleviated12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list