Alma Mater

[ˈalma ˈmaːtɐ]

/[ˈalma ˈmaːtɐ]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - nährende, sorgende Mutter

Corpus desk

Index DE-alma-mater · Alma Mater · German

Alma Mater · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 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 Alma Mater
PropertyValue
HeadwordAlma Mater
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈalma ˈmaːtɐ]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Alma Mater“ im Deutschen

Alma Materschafft es nicht in die Top 100.000 des Deutschen: Zone für Fach-, Alt- oder Seltenwortschatz.

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

Rare enough to double-check

Alma Mater is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈalma ˈmaːtɐ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Alma Mater, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Alma Mater, spelled A-L-M-A- -M-A-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    nährende, sorgende Mutter
  2. 2
    Hochschule, Universität

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. „Der alte Kaufmannsgeist war wieder über den Vater gekommen, es hatte ihn zurückgezogen nach England, nach London, nach der City, nach der alma mater des Handels; – er wollte wieder reich werden wie er arm geworden war und Jane hatte ihn begleiten müssen.“
  2. „Nur Oliver Kahn, die Alma Mater der aktuellen Mannschaft, bewegt sich auf dieser Höhe.“

Synonyms

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 "Alma Mater"?
"Alma Mater" is spelled A-L-M-A- -M-A-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈalma ˈmaːtɐ].
What does "Alma Mater" mean?
As a noun, "Alma Mater" means: nährende, sorgende Mutter
How do you pronounce "Alma Mater"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Alma Mater" is [ˈalma ˈmaːtɐ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Alma Mater" come from?
"Alma Mater" 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