time-lapse
/ˈtaɪmˌlæps/
"time-lapse" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“time-lapse” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of or relating to a technique in which exposures are taken at fewer intervals than usual so that, on playback, a naturally slow process may be viewed at an accelerated pace.
Corpus desk
Index EN-time-lapse · time-lapse · English
time-lapse · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 10 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "T" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | time-lapse |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈtaɪmˌlæps/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “time-lapse” in English
Rare enough to double-check
time-lapse is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈtaɪmˌlæps/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Of or relating to a technique in which exposures are taken at fewer intervals than usual so that, on playback, a naturally slow process may be viewed at an accelerated pace.".
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for time-lapse, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From time + lapse. The correct English form is time-lapse, spelled T-I-M-E---L-A-P-S-E.
Definition
- 1Of or relating to a technique in which exposures are taken at fewer intervals than usual so that, on playback, a naturally slow process may be viewed at an accelerated pace.
Recorded use
Wiktionary exampleThese source excerpts show how time-lapse appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Operation London Bridge, also from 1975, tells the story of the busy station's redevelopment. Cutting neatly from the barrow boys of Borough Market to an aerial view of Borough Market Junction, the film uses time lapse photography to show the congestion rife in the area during the morning rush hour.
Etymology
From time + lapse.
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.