CDU

[tseːdeːˈʔuː]

/[tseːdeːˈʔuː]/ abbrev

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

The verdict

“CDU” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #614) as an abbreviation. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#614
frequency rank, German
1,273
“C” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Christlich Demokratische Union [Deutschlands]

Corpus desk

Index DE-cdu · CDU · German

CDU · rank #614 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #614
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,273
  • PHOTO-FINISH gekommen

Nearest frequency peer: gekommen (+1 rank slots)

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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “CDU”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “CDU” sits against the nearest ranked German headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

CDU vs cm
0% similar
CDU vs Ch
33% similar
CDU vs cl
0% similar

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

Key facts for CDU
PropertyValue
HeadwordCDU
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAbbreviation
IPA[tseːdeːˈʔuː]
Letters3
Frequency rank#614
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “CDU” 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).CDU lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for CDU is neighbouring look-alikes ("cm", "Ch", …), not just typos; it is anabbreviation pronounced [tseːdeːˈʔuː]. Frequency #614 among 1,273 “C” headwords. Gloss: "Christlich Demokratische Union [Deutschlands]".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for CDU, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cm", "Ch", "cl", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is CDU, spelled C-D-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    Christlich Demokratische Union [Deutschlands]

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Die CDU bezeichnet sich als Volkspartei.
  2. „Das Mädchen lobte die CDU und hielt es für sinnvoll, dass auch die Wirtschaft ein Wörtchen mitzureden habe.“

This word in other languages

CDU(Français)

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.

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 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "CDU"?
"CDU" is spelled C-D-U. The IPA pronunciation is [tseːdeːˈʔuː].
What does "CDU" mean?
As an abbreviation, "CDU" means: Christlich Demokratische Union [Deutschlands]
What words are commonly confused with "CDU"?
"CDU" is commonly confused with "cm", "Ch", "cl". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "CDU"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "CDU" is [tseːdeːˈʔuː]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "CDU" come from?
"CDU" 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.

Similar German words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "CDU", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked German headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ach#612Tod#609alt#595AfD#594

What to do next

You've looked up "CDU". Here's where to go from here.

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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