Camera obscura

[ˈkameʁa ɔpsˈkuːʁa]

/[ˈkameʁa ɔpsˈkuːʁa]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - innen geschwärzter Raum (auch in Kastenform) mit einer konvexen Linse oder ein Loch, durch das ein eingefangenes Bild seitenverkehrt auf der transparenten Rückwand projiziert wird; wird als der Vor...

Key facts for Camera obscura
PropertyValue
HeadwordCamera obscura
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈkameʁa ɔpsˈkuːʁa]
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Camera obscura” sits in German frequency

Camera obscura 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

Camera obscura is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈkameʁa ɔpsˈkuːʁa]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "innen geschwärzter Raum (auch in Kastenform) mit einer konvexen Linse oder ein Loch, durch das ein eingefangenes Bild seitenverkehrt auf der transparenten Rückwand projiziert wird; wird als der Vor...".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Camera obscura, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Camera obscura, spelled C-A-M-E-R-A- -O-B-S-C-U-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    innen geschwärzter Raum (auch in Kastenform) mit einer konvexen Linse oder ein Loch, durch das ein eingefangenes Bild seitenverkehrt auf der transparenten Rückwand projiziert wird; wird als der Vorläufer der modernen fotografischen Kamera gesehen

This word in other languages

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 "Camera obscura"?
"Camera obscura" is spelled C-A-M-E-R-A- -O-B-S-C-U-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈkameʁa ɔpsˈkuːʁa].
What does "Camera obscura" mean?
As a noun, "Camera obscura" means: innen geschwärzter Raum (auch in Kastenform) mit einer konvexen Linse oder ein Loch, durch das ein eingefangenes Bild seitenverkehrt auf der transparenten Rückwand projiziert wird; wird als der Vor...
How do you pronounce "Camera obscura"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Camera obscura" is [ˈkameʁa ɔpsˈkuːʁa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Camera obscura" come from?
"Camera obscura" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “Camera obscura”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is C-A-M-E-R-A- -O-B-S-C-U-R-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈkameʁa ɔpsˈkuːʁa] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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