thunderclap
/ˈθʌndɚˌklæp/
"thunderclap" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“thunderclap” is an uncommon English word, ranked #53,301 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #53,301
- frequency rank, English
- 11
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A sudden, loud thunder caused by a nearby lightning strike; a shock of thunder, as opposed to a reverberating rumble.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | thunderclap |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈθʌndɚˌklæp/ |
| Letters | 11 |
| Frequency rank | #53,301 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “thunderclap” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for thunderclap is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈθʌndɚˌklæp/. Corpus data places it at rank #53,301 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
thunderclap doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From thunder + clap. The correct English form is thunderclap, spelled T-H-U-N-D-E-R-C-L-A-P.
Definition
- 1A sudden, loud thunder caused by a nearby lightning strike; a shock of thunder, as opposed to a reverberating rumble.
- 2A very loud fart.
- 3Something that makes a big, dramatic impact.
- 4Synonym of thunder word.
Etymology
From thunder + clap.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “thunderclap”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-H-U-N-D-E-R-C-L-A-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈθʌndɚˌklæp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.