Bau

[baʊ̯]

/[baʊ̯]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Bau” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,193 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,193
frequency rank, German
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Errichtung eines Hauses oder Bauwerkes

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Bau vs be
0% similar
Bau vs by
0% similar
Bau vs Br
33% similar

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

Key facts for Bau
PropertyValue
HeadwordBau
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[baʊ̯]
Letters3
Frequency rank#1,193
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Bau” 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). Bau 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 Bau is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [baʊ̯]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,193 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Bau, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "be", "by", "Br", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Bau, spelled B-A-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    Errichtung eines Hauses oder Bauwerkes
  2. 2
    Tätigkeit des Bauens, Errichtung; Herstellung
  3. 3
    Ort, an dem gerade ein Bauwerk errichtet wird; Baustelle
  4. 4
    Haus; Gebäude; Bauwerk
  5. 5
    in den Boden gegrabener Unterschlupf mancher Tiere, zum Beispiel des Fuchses
  6. 6
    Art und Weise der Konstruktion: Aufbau; Struktur; Gliederung
  7. 7
    Art und Weise der Formung durch die Natur; Aufbau
  8. 8
    Gebäude, in dem Verbrecher eingesperrt werden; Gefängnis

Synonyms

AufbauErrichtungHerstellungBaustelleBauwerkGebäudeHausAufbauStrukturGliederungKonstruktionKonstitutionStaturGefängnisKnastLoch

Antonyms

AbrissZerstörungAbbauZerlegungFreiheit

This word in other languages

construction(English)edificación(Español)construction(Français)obra(Português)

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 "Bau"?
"Bau" is spelled B-A-U. The IPA pronunciation is [baʊ̯].
What does "Bau" mean?
As a noun, "Bau" means: Errichtung eines Hauses oder Bauwerkes
What words are commonly confused with "Bau"?
"Bau" is commonly confused with "be", "by", "Br". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Bau"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Bau" is [baʊ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Bau" come from?
"Bau" 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 “Bau”

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

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