claymation

/ˈkleɪˌmeɪ.ʃən/

//ˈkleɪˌmeɪ.ʃən// noun

"claymation" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“claymation” is uncommon English (frequency #96,865 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#96,865
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - stop-motion animation where each animated piece is made from a deformable substance, typically Plasticine clay.

Corpus desk

Index EN-claymation · claymation · English

claymation · rank #96,865 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #96,865
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH clavier

Nearest frequency peer: clavier (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “claymation”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “claymation” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for claymation
PropertyValue
Headwordclaymation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkleɪˌmeɪ.ʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#96,865
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “claymation” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).claymationfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “clavier” (#96,864), “clopidogrel” (#96,867), “clumpy” (#96,868). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “claymation” is #96,865. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

claymation is uncommon English at frequency #96,865 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkleɪˌmeɪ.ʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "stop-motion animation where each animated piece is made from a deformable substance, typically Plasticine clay.".

No misspelling variants are generated for claymation in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: A blend of clay + animation. Originally registered as a trademark by Will Vinton in 1978, then entered the English language as a genericized trademark. The correct English form is claymation, spelled C-L-A-Y-M-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    stop-motion animation where each animated piece is made from a deformable substance, typically Plasticine clay.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. As my friends deserted our weekend movie-making for more teenagerly pastimes, I had turned to the cold, clean world of claymation and animated LEGOs.

Etymology

A blend of clay + animation. Originally registered as a trademark by Will Vinton in 1978, then entered the English language as a genericized trademark.

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 "claymation"?
"claymation" is spelled C-L-A-Y-M-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkleɪˌmeɪ.ʃən/.
What does "claymation" mean?
As a noun, "claymation" means: stop-motion animation where each animated piece is made from a deformable substance, typically Plasticine clay.
How do you pronounce "claymation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "claymation" is /ˈkleɪˌmeɪ.ʃən/. 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 "claymation"?
A blend of clay + animation. Originally registered as a trademark by Will Vinton in 1978, then entered the English language as a genericized trademark. 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 "claymation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list