außer

[ˈaʊ̯sɐ]

/[ˈaʊ̯sɐ]/ prep

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

The verdict

“außer” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a preposition. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - außerhalb von etwas, nicht in etwas, nicht innerhalb etwas

Corpus desk

Index DE-au-er · außer · German

außer · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for außer
PropertyValue
Headwordaußer
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPreposition
IPA[ˈaʊ̯sɐ]
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “außer” sits in German frequency

außer 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.

Rare enough to double-check

außer is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as apreposition, transcribed [ˈaʊ̯sɐ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for außer in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is außer, spelled A-U-S-S-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    außerhalb von etwas, nicht in etwas, nicht innerhalb etwas
  2. 2
    abgesehen von, ausgenommen von

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how außer appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Ich bin außer Hause.
  2. Viele Menschen gingen außer Landes.

Synonyms

außerhalbausgenommenabgesehenbisaufohneunterAusschluss

Antonyms

innerhalbvonin

This word in other languages

out of(English)excepto(Español)hors de(Français)exceto(Português)

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "außer"?
"außer" is spelled A-U-SS-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaʊ̯sɐ].
What does "außer" mean?
As a preposition, "außer" means: außerhalb von etwas, nicht in etwas, nicht innerhalb etwas
How do you pronounce "außer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "außer" is [ˈaʊ̯sɐ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "außer" come from?
"außer" 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.

What to do next

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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