time machine
"time-machine" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“time machine” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A hypothetical device used to travel into the past or the future.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | time machine |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “time machine” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
time machine is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for time machine, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Coined by British science fiction author H. G. Wells in 1895 in his novel The Time Machine. The correct English form is time machine, spelled T-I-M-E- -M-A-C-H-I-N-E.
Definition
- 1A hypothetical device used to travel into the past or the future.
- 2Something that appears to take a person or thing to another time, for example through nostalgia or delay.
Etymology
Coined by British science fiction author H. G. Wells in 1895 in his novel The Time Machine.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “time machine”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-I-M-E- -M-A-C-H-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- 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.