ab und zu

[ap ʊnt t͡suː]

/[ap ʊnt t͡suː]/ phrase

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

The verdict

“ab und zu” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as a phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - mehr oder weniger oft, unterschiedlich häufig

Key facts for ab und zu
PropertyValue
Headwordab und zu
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ap ʊnt t͡suː]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ab und zu” sits in German frequency

ab und zu falls outside the top-100,000 ranked German words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for ab und zu is 9 letters long, classified as a phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ap ʊnt t͡suː]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

ab und zu has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is ab und zu, spelled A-B- -U-N-D- -Z-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    mehr oder weniger oft, unterschiedlich häufig
  2. 2
    weg und wieder herbei; aus und ein

Synonyms

bisweilendann und wanngelegentlichhin und wiedermanchmalmituntervon Zeit zu Zeitzuweilenab und an

Antonyms

häufigoftregelmäßignieniemals

This word in other languages

from time to time(English)de vez en cuando(Español)de temps en temps(Français)às vezes(Português)

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

How do you spell "ab und zu"?
"ab und zu" is spelled A-B- -U-N-D- -Z-U. The IPA pronunciation is [ap ʊnt t͡suː].
What does "ab und zu" mean?
As a phrase, "ab und zu" means: mehr oder weniger oft, unterschiedlich häufig
How do you pronounce "ab und zu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ab und zu" is [ap ʊnt t͡suː]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ab und zu" come from?
"ab und zu" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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.

Using “ab und zu”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is A-B- -U-N-D- -Z-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ap ʊnt t͡suː] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list