Atlas

[ˈatlas]

/[ˈatlas]/ name

The verdict

“Atlas” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #11,596 in German word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#11,596
frequency rank, German
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ein geografisches Kartenwerk

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Atlas vs aula
40% similar
Atlas vs als
40% similar
Atlas vs ala
40% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Atlas
PropertyValue
HeadwordAtlas
LanguageGerman
Part of speechProper noun
IPA[ˈatlas]
Letters5
Frequency rank#11,596
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Atlas” 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). Atlas lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for Atlas is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈatlas]. Corpus data places it at rank #11,596 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Atlas, with forms such as "altas", "atals", and "atlass". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 19 confusable-pair relationships, "aula", "als", "ala", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Atlas, spelled A-T-L-A-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    ein geografisches Kartenwerk
  2. 2
    grafisches Nachschlagewerk als eine Sammlung von Bildtafeln aus einem Wissensgebiet
  3. 3
    der erste Halswirbel, welcher den Kopf trägt
  4. 4
    seltener Ausdruck für Atlant, eine architektonische Stütze in Form einer männlichen Person mit erhobenen Armen
  5. 5
    Gebirge in Nordwestafrika

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: altas,atals,atlass,atllas,atlsa,attlas,talas

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Atlas - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

altas2atals2atlass1atllas1atlsa2attlas1talas2
Edit distance from "Atlas"

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 "Atlas"?
"Atlas" is spelled A-T-L-A-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈatlas].
What does "Atlas" mean?
As a proper noun, "Atlas" means: ein geografisches Kartenwerk
What words are commonly confused with "Atlas"?
"Atlas" is commonly confused with "aula", "als", "ala". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Atlas"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Atlas" is [ˈatlas]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Atlas" come from?
"Atlas" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “Atlas”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is A-T-L-A-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈatlas] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “aula” - see the side-by-side comparison. Atlas vs aula
  • 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