escapement

/ɪˈskeɪpmənt/

//ɪˈskeɪpmənt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“escapement” is uncommon English (frequency #74,077 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,077
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The linkage in a (watch) that gives impulses to the timekeeping element and periodically releases the gear train to move forward, advancing the clock's hands.

Corpus desk

Index EN-escapement · escapement · English

escapement · rank #74,077 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #74,077
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH erogenous

Nearest frequency peer: erogenous (-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 “escapement”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for escapement
PropertyValue
Headwordescapement
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪˈskeɪpmənt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#74,077
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “escapement” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).escapementfalls 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: “erogenous” (#74,076), “epidemiologic” (#74,074), “Etherington” (#74,080). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “escapement” is #74,077. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

escapement is uncommon English at frequency #74,077 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɪˈskeɪpmənt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for escapement in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From escape + -ment. The watch component is so called because it allows a tooth to escape from a pallet at each vibration. The correct English form is escapement, spelled E-S-C-A-P-E-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The linkage in a (watch) that gives impulses to the timekeeping element and periodically releases the gear train to move forward, advancing the clock's hands.
  2. 2
    A mechanism found in devices such as a typewriter or printer which controls lateral motion of the carriage.
  3. 3
    An escape or a means of escape.
  4. 4
    The number of fish that escape commercial fishing operations and travel upstream to spawn.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The escapement is the reason why clocks tick.
  2. For some reason, adjusting the 400-day clock escapement strikes fear into the hearts of many clock repairers.

Etymology

From escape + -ment. The watch component is so called because it allows a tooth to escape from a pallet at each vibration.

This word in other languages

échappement(Français)Hemmung(Deutsch)

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 "escapement"?
"escapement" is spelled E-S-C-A-P-E-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈskeɪpmənt/.
What does "escapement" mean?
As a noun, "escapement" means: The linkage in a (watch) that gives impulses to the timekeeping element and periodically releases the gear train to move forward, advancing the clock's hands.
How do you pronounce "escapement"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "escapement" is /ɪˈskeɪpmənt/. 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 "escapement"?
From escape + -ment. The watch component is so called because it allows a tooth to escape from a pallet at each vibration. 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 "escapement", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

fingerless#74,096footlocker#74,102dispirited#74,034deregulate#74,024

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list