an und für sich

[an ʊnt fyːɐ̯ zɪç]

/[an ʊnt fyːɐ̯ zɪç]/ phrase

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

The verdict

“an und für sich” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as a phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
15
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - eigentlich, im Grunde

Key facts for an und für sich
PropertyValue
Headwordan und für sich
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[an ʊnt fyːɐ̯ zɪç]
Letters15
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “an und für sich” sits in German frequency

an und für sich 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 an und für sich is 15 letters long, classified as a phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [an ʊnt fyːɐ̯ zɪç]. 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: "eigentlich, im Grunde".

an und für sich doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is an und für sich, spelled A-N- -U-N-D- -F-Ü-R- -S-I-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    eigentlich, im Grunde

Synonyms

eigentlichletztlichPrinzipim Grunde genommen

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 "an und für sich"?
"an und für sich" is spelled A-N- -U-N-D- -F-Ü-R- -S-I-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is [an ʊnt fyːɐ̯ zɪç].
What does "an und für sich" mean?
As a phrase, "an und für sich" means: eigentlich, im Grunde
How do you pronounce "an und für sich"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "an und für sich" is [an ʊnt fyːɐ̯ zɪç]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "an und für sich" come from?
"an und für sich" 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.

Using “an und für sich”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is A-N- -U-N-D- -F-Ü-R- -S-I-C-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [an ʊnt fyːɐ̯ zɪç] (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