Atavismus
[ataˈvɪsmʊs]
The verdict
“Atavismus” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency German
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ein unvermittelt wieder auftretendes, entwicklungsgeschichtlich als überholt geltendes Merkmal (anatomisch oder verhaltensbiologisch), das sonst nur bei Vorfahren bekannt war
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Atavismus |
| Language | German |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | [ataˈvɪsmʊs] |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Atavismus” sits in German frequency
Rare enough to double-check
Atavismus is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ataˈvɪsmʊs]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Atavismus, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
No borrowing history is documented 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 Atavismus, spelled A-T-A-V-I-S-M-U-S.
Definition
- 1ein unvermittelt wieder auftretendes, entwicklungsgeschichtlich als überholt geltendes Merkmal (anatomisch oder verhaltensbiologisch), das sonst nur bei Vorfahren bekannt war
- 2eine Auffassung oder ein Verhalten, das einem veralteten Weltbild entspricht
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
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Using “Atavismus”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct German spelling is A-T-A-V-I-S-M-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [ataˈvɪsmʊs] (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.