Bildungsroman

[ˈbɪldʊŋsʁoˌmaːn]

/[ˈbɪldʊŋsʁoˌmaːn]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Roman, in dem die geistige und charakterliche Bildung der Hauptfiguren im Vordergrund steht und nachvollziehbar dargestellt wird

Corpus desk

Index DE-bildungsroman · Bildungsroman · German

Bildungsroman · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "B" 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 Bildungsroman
PropertyValue
HeadwordBildungsroman
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈbɪldʊŋsʁoˌmaːn]
Letters13
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Bildungsroman“ im Deutschen

Bildungsromanschafft es nicht in die Top 100.000 des Deutschen: Zone für Fach-, Alt- oder Seltenwortschatz.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Bildungsroman is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈbɪldʊŋsʁoˌmaːn]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Roman, in dem die geistige und charakterliche Bildung der Hauptfiguren im Vordergrund steht und nachvollziehbar dargestellt wird".

No misspelling variants are generated for Bildungsroman in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Bildungsroman, spelled B-I-L-D-U-N-G-S-R-O-M-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Roman, in dem die geistige und charakterliche Bildung der Hauptfiguren im Vordergrund steht und nachvollziehbar dargestellt wird

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Im Bildungsroman macht die zentrale Figur eine Entwicklung durch.
  2. Goethes „Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre“ gilt als erster Bildungsroman.

Antonyms

Antibildungsroman

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

How do you spell "Bildungsroman"?
"Bildungsroman" is spelled B-I-L-D-U-N-G-S-R-O-M-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈbɪldʊŋsʁoˌmaːn].
What does "Bildungsroman" mean?
As a noun, "Bildungsroman" means: Roman, in dem die geistige und charakterliche Bildung der Hauptfiguren im Vordergrund steht und nachvollziehbar dargestellt wird
How do you pronounce "Bildungsroman"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Bildungsroman" is [ˈbɪldʊŋsʁoˌmaːn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Bildungsroman" come from?
"Bildungsroman" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list