clunker

/ˈklʌŋkɚ/

//ˈklʌŋkɚ// noun

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

"clunker" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clunker” is uncommon English (frequency #95,834 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#95,834
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A decrepit motor car.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clunker · clunker · English

clunker · rank #95,834 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #95,834
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH clozapine

Nearest frequency peer: clozapine (-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 “clunker”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for clunker
PropertyValue
Headwordclunker
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈklʌŋkɚ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#95,834
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “clunker” in English

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

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “clozapine” (#95,833), “coaling” (#95,835), “clownish” (#95,832). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “clunker” is #95,834. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

clunker is uncommon English at frequency #95,834 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈklʌŋkɚ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

clunker doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From clunk + -er. The correct English form is clunker, spelled C-L-U-N-K-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A decrepit motor car.
  2. 2
    Anything which is in poor condition or of poor quality.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The only rig nobody'd recognize is that clunker that Vic drove here in, and he won't take it.
  2. 2008 July 9, Jacqueline Mitchell, “America's Most Stolen Vehicles”, in Forbes magazine, So don't think for a moment that your old but tired vehicle matters only to you. Your clunker is cash money to professional thieves.

Etymology

From clunk + -er.

This word in other languages

chatarra(Español)guimbarde(Français)Schrottkarre(Deutsch)calhambeque(Português)

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 "clunker"?
"clunker" is spelled C-L-U-N-K-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklʌŋkɚ/.
What does "clunker" mean?
As a noun, "clunker" means: A decrepit motor car.
How do you pronounce "clunker"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clunker" is /ˈklʌŋkɚ/. 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 "clunker"?
From clunk + -er. 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 "clunker", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

coaling#95,835clinger#95,831caudate#95,810Carruth#95,803

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list