ape

[eɪp]

/[eɪp]/ noun

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

The verdict

“ape” is uncommon German (frequency #50,269 among 113,935 “A” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,269
frequency rank, German
113,935
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - der Menschenaffe, der Affe (ohne Schwanz)

Key facts for ape
PropertyValue
Headwordape
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[eɪp]
Letters3
Frequency rank#50,269
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ape” 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). ape lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

ape is uncommon German at frequency #50,269 among 113,935 “A” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [eɪp]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for ape, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

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 ape, spelled A-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    der Menschenaffe, der Affe (ohne Schwanz)
  2. 2
    der Nachäffer

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 "ape"?
"ape" is spelled A-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is [eɪp].
What does "ape" mean?
As a noun, "ape" means: der Menschenaffe, der Affe (ohne Schwanz)
How do you pronounce "ape"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ape" is [eɪp]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ape" come from?
"ape" 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 “ape”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is A-P-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [eɪp] (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

Other uncommon German words near this rank

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