aufschrecken

[ˈaʊ̯fˌʃʁɛkn̩]

/[ˈaʊ̯fˌʃʁɛkn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (eine Person, ein Tier) plötzlich erschrecken und damit aus dem Schlaf, aus einer Ruheposition reißen

Corpus desk

Index DE-aufschrecken · aufschrecken · German

aufschrecken · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-4 4 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 aufschrecken
PropertyValue
Headwordaufschrecken
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈaʊ̯fˌʃʁɛkn̩]
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “aufschrecken” sits in German frequency

aufschrecken 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

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

No generated misspelling entries exist for aufschrecken in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is aufschrecken, spelled A-U-F-S-C-H-R-E-C-K-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    (eine Person, ein Tier) plötzlich erschrecken und damit aus dem Schlaf, aus einer Ruheposition reißen
  2. 2
    (jemandem) plötzlich etwas bewusst machen, was unangenehme Emotionen auslöst

This word in other languages

startle(English)

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 May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "aufschrecken"?
"aufschrecken" is spelled A-U-F-S-C-H-R-E-C-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaʊ̯fˌʃʁɛkn̩].
What does "aufschrecken" mean?
As a verb, "aufschrecken" means: (eine Person, ein Tier) plötzlich erschrecken und damit aus dem Schlaf, aus einer Ruheposition reißen
How do you pronounce "aufschrecken"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "aufschrecken" is [ˈaʊ̯fˌʃʁɛkn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "aufschrecken" come from?
"aufschrecken" 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.
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