Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

clanker

/ˈklæŋkə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: clan-ker
IPA: /ˈklæŋkə/

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Something that makes a clanking noise.

noun

A robot or artificial intelligence.

Derogatory; Humorous

noun

A person who uses automated technology or generative AI.

noun

A fib.

Slang

Example Sentences

"Hurt him, hang him, Scrape-trencher, Stare-wearer, Wine-ſpiller, Mettle-clanker, Rogue by generation : Why dost heare Will?"
"Poor boys have got to study hard. Then they’ll get rich too—they’ll be doctors, and officers, and officials. I want to be a clanker—with a sword at my side and spurs on my boots—clank, clank!"
"The robots, designed by Kenjiro Okazaki, are cardboard tubes rather than the usual metal clankers."
"I got laid off 'cause they got them goddamn clankers taking our jobs."
"Lousy clanker."
"Okay clankers, suck lasers!"

Etymology

From clank + -er, onomatopoeic. The sense meaning "robot" appears in science fiction at least as early as 1958. Its broader popular use increased on social media beginning around 2024, due to the AI boom. In this wave of usage, it was especially influenced by the word's appearance in the Star Wars franchise, particularly the 2005 video game Star Wars: Republic Commando. In Star Wars, the term was used towards B1-series battle droids, which were humanoid robots that were manufactured for the sole purpose of fighting in armed conflicts. Their nickname of "clanker" stems from the fact that they would frequently make clanking noises any time they moved around due to being cheaply mass-produced.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: clank

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈklæŋkə/
British English: /ˈklæŋkə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

clankers (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

clanka

Synonyms

cogsucker rust monkey tinskin wireback alternative fact anti-fact invention bluff bollocks bullshit canard cap

Rhymes With

anchor banker tanker wanker flanker rancor canker hanker ranker spanker chancre blanker

Questions

How do you pronounce clanker?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈklæŋkə/.
What does clanker mean?: Something that makes a clanking noise.
Where does clanker come from?: From clank + -er, onomatopoeic. The sense meaning "robot" appears in science fiction at least as early as 1958. Its broader popular use increased on social media beginning around 2024, due to the AI boom. In this wave of usage, it was especially influenced by the word's appearance in the Star Wars franchise, particularly the 2005 video game Star Wars: Republic Commando. In Star Wars, the term was used towards B1-series battle droids, which were humanoid robots that were manufactured for the sole purpose of fighting in armed conflicts. Their nickname of "clanker" stems from the fact that they would frequently make clanking noises any time they moved around due to being cheaply mass-produced.

How to pronounce clanker

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “clanker”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈklæŋkə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “clanker”.
Repeat and practice — Say “clanker” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.