als ob

[als ʔɔp]

/[als ʔɔp]/ conj

The verdict

“als ob” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as a conjunction - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (bei Gleichheit in Sätzen, in denen ein Vergleich zwischen einem Geschehen mit einem anderen angenommenen gezogen wird) leitet eine irreale vergleichende Aussage ein

Key facts for als ob
PropertyValue
Headwordals ob
LanguageGerman
Part of speechConjunction
IPA[als ʔɔp]
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “als ob” sits in German frequency

als ob 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 als ob is 6 letters long, classified as a conjunction, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [als ʔɔp]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "(bei Gleichheit in Sätzen, in denen ein Vergleich zwischen einem Geschehen mit einem anderen angenommenen gezogen wird) leitet eine irreale vergleichende Aussage ein".

No generated misspelling entries exist for als ob in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is als ob, spelled A-L-S- -O-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    (bei Gleichheit in Sätzen, in denen ein Vergleich zwischen einem Geschehen mit einem anderen angenommenen gezogen wird) leitet eine irreale vergleichende Aussage ein

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 "als ob"?
"als ob" is spelled A-L-S- -O-B. The IPA pronunciation is [als ʔɔp].
What does "als ob" mean?
As a conjunction, "als ob" means: (bei Gleichheit in Sätzen, in denen ein Vergleich zwischen einem Geschehen mit einem anderen angenommenen gezogen wird) leitet eine irreale vergleichende Aussage ein
How do you pronounce "als ob"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "als ob" is [als ʔɔp]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "als ob" come from?
"als ob" 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 “als ob”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is A-L-S- -O-B - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [als ʔɔp] (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