subclavian

/səbˈkleɪ.vi.ən/

//səbˈkleɪ.vi.ən// adj

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

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

The verdict

“subclavian” is uncommon English (frequency #85,821 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#85,821
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Relating to or denoting an artery or vein which serves the neck and arm on the left or right side of the body.

Corpus desk

Index EN-subclavian · subclavian · English

subclavian · rank #85,821 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #85,821
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH subalpine

Nearest frequency peer: subalpine (-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 “subclavian”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for subclavian
PropertyValue
Headwordsubclavian
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/səbˈkleɪ.vi.ən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#85,821
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “subclavian” 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).subclavianfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “subalpine” (#85,820), “sublease” (#85,822), “sublimely” (#85,823). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “subclavian” is #85,821. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

subclavian is uncommon English at frequency #85,821 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /səbˈkleɪ.vi.ən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Relating to or denoting an artery or vein which serves the neck and arm on the left or right side of the body.".

Zero misspellings are on record for subclavian in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From New Latin subclavius + -ian, from sub- (“under”) + clavicula (“collar bone, clavicle”) + -ius (adjectival suffix). The correct English form is subclavian, spelled S-U-B-C-L-A-V-I-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Relating to or denoting an artery or vein which serves the neck and arm on the left or right side of the body.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. There I was struck on the shoulder by a Jezail bullet, which shattered the bone and grazed the subclavian artery.

Etymology

From New Latin subclavius + -ian, from sub- (“under”) + clavicula (“collar bone, clavicle”) + -ius (adjectival suffix).

This word in other languages

subclavio(Español)

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 "subclavian"?
"subclavian" is spelled S-U-B-C-L-A-V-I-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /səbˈkleɪ.vi.ən/.
What does "subclavian" mean?
As an adjective, "subclavian" means: Relating to or denoting an artery or vein which serves the neck and arm on the left or right side of the body.
How do you pronounce "subclavian"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "subclavian" is /səbˈkleɪ.vi.ən/. 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 "subclavian"?
From New Latin subclavius + -ian, from sub- (“under”) + clavicula (“collar bone, clavicle”) + -ius (adjectival suffix). 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 "subclavian", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

stratagems#85,818suzerainty#85,832solicitous#85,791shopaholic#85,771

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list