Abteilung

[apˈtaɪ̯lʊŋ]

/[apˈtaɪ̯lʊŋ]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Abteilung” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #2,281 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,281
frequency rank, German
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Teil einer größeren Einheit (Unternehmen, Kaufhaus oder Ähnlichem)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Abteilung vs Abweisung
78% similar
Abteilung vs Aufteilung
80% similar
Abteilung vs Abtreibung
80% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Abteilung
PropertyValue
HeadwordAbteilung
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[apˈtaɪ̯lʊŋ]
Letters9
Frequency rank#2,281
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Abteilung” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Abteilung lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for Abteilung is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [apˈtaɪ̯lʊŋ]. Corpus data places it at rank #2,281 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for Abteilung, with forms such as "abbteilung", "abetilung", and "abteillung". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "Abweisung", "Aufteilung", "Abtreibung", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Abteilung, spelled A-B-T-E-I-L-U-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Teil einer größeren Einheit (Unternehmen, Kaufhaus oder Ähnlichem)
  2. 2
    soldatische Einheit
  3. 3
    hierarchische Stufe der biologischen Systematik der Botanik, Mykologie und Mikrobiologie
  4. 4
    Unterabschnitte eines stratigraphischen Systems
  5. 5
    Abschnitt des Grundbuches
  6. 6
    forstliche Flächeneinheit
  7. 7
    in Schiffen ein oder mehrere Räume, die durch Schotts wasserdicht abgegrenzt sind

Synonyms

Divisio

This word in other languages

department(English)sección(Español)département(Français)departamento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbteilung,abetilung,abteillung,abteilnug,abteilugn,abteilungg,abteilunng,abteiulng,abteliung,abtielung,abtteilung,atbeilung,bateilung

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Abteilung - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

abbteilung1abetilung2abteillung1abteilnug2abteilugn2abteilungg1abteilunng1abteiulng2
Edit distance from "Abteilung"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Abteilung"?
"Abteilung" is spelled A-B-T-E-I-L-U-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is [apˈtaɪ̯lʊŋ].
What does "Abteilung" mean?
As a noun, "Abteilung" means: Teil einer größeren Einheit (Unternehmen, Kaufhaus oder Ähnlichem)
What words are commonly confused with "Abteilung"?
"Abteilung" is commonly confused with "Abweisung", "Aufteilung", "Abtreibung". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Abteilung"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Abteilung" is [apˈtaɪ̯lʊŋ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Abteilung" come from?
"Abteilung" 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.

Using “Abteilung”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is A-B-T-E-I-L-U-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [apˈtaɪ̯lʊŋ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Abweisung” - see the side-by-side comparison. Abteilung vs Abweisung
  • 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