abschweifen

[ˈapˌʃvaɪ̯fn̩]

/[ˈapˌʃvaɪ̯fn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“abschweifen” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - von einer Richtung abweichen, die Richtung ändern

Corpus desk

Index DE-abschweifen · abschweifen · German

abschweifen · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for abschweifen
PropertyValue
Headwordabschweifen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈapˌʃvaɪ̯fn̩]
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „abschweifen“ im Deutschen

abschweifenliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

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

Rare enough to double-check

abschweifen is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [ˈapˌʃvaɪ̯fn̩]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for abschweifen, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is abschweifen, spelled A-B-S-C-H-W-E-I-F-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    von einer Richtung abweichen, die Richtung ändern
  2. 2
    gedanklich oder beim Sprechen das Thema ändern, (oft unbewusst) von einem Thema zum anderen abweichen

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how abschweifen appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Maik verliert sich immer mehr in Gedankengängen und schweift ab.

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

How do you spell "abschweifen"?
"abschweifen" is spelled A-B-S-C-H-W-E-I-F-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈapˌʃvaɪ̯fn̩].
What does "abschweifen" mean?
As a verb, "abschweifen" means: von einer Richtung abweichen, die Richtung ändern
How do you pronounce "abschweifen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abschweifen" is [ˈapˌʃvaɪ̯fn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "abschweifen" come from?
"abschweifen" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list