Ainu

[ˈaɪ̯nu]

/[ˈaɪ̯nu]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - die nahezu ausgestorbene Sprache des gleichnamigen Volks in Nordjapan

Corpus desk

Index DE-ainu · Ainu · German

Ainu · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-3 3 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 Ainu
PropertyValue
HeadwordAinu
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈaɪ̯nu]
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Ainu“ im Deutschen

Ainuliegt 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

Ainu is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈaɪ̯nu]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "die nahezu ausgestorbene Sprache des gleichnamigen Volks in Nordjapan".

Zero misspellings are on record for Ainu in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is Ainu, spelled A-I-N-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    die nahezu ausgestorbene Sprache des gleichnamigen Volks in Nordjapan

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. „Ainu hatte bis vor kurzem keine Schrift, aber in den letzten Jahren wird versucht, die Sprache mit der japanischen Silbenschrift Katakana und mit dem lateinischen Alphabet zu verschriftlichen.“
  2. „Das Japanische kenne nur Postpositionen, während das Ainu auch Präpositionen habe[.]“

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 "Ainu"?
"Ainu" is spelled A-I-N-U. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaɪ̯nu].
What does "Ainu" mean?
As a noun, "Ainu" means: die nahezu ausgestorbene Sprache des gleichnamigen Volks in Nordjapan
How do you pronounce "Ainu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Ainu" is [ˈaɪ̯nu]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Ainu" come from?
"Ainu" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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