CFO

[ˌsiːʔɛfˈʔɔʊ]

/[ˌsiːʔɛfˈʔɔʊ]/ noun

The verdict

“CFO” is uncommon German (frequency #71,208 among 20,081 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#71,208
frequency rank, German
20,081
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Chief Financial Officer, ‚Vorstandsmitglied für Finanzen‘, ‚Finanzchef‘, ‚Kaufmännischer Direktor/Geschäftsführer‘, ‚Finanzvorstand/Finanzvorständin‘

Key facts for CFO
PropertyValue
HeadwordCFO
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˌsiːʔɛfˈʔɔʊ]
Letters3
Frequency rank#71,208
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “CFO” 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). CFO lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

CFO is uncommon German at frequency #71,208 among 20,081 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˌsiːʔɛfˈʔɔʊ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Chief Financial Officer, ‚Vorstandsmitglied für Finanzen‘, ‚Finanzchef‘, ‚Kaufmännischer Direktor/Geschäftsführer‘, ‚Finanzvorstand/Finanzvorständin‘".

No misspelling variants are generated for CFO in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

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 CFO, spelled C-F-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Chief Financial Officer, ‚Vorstandsmitglied für Finanzen‘, ‚Finanzchef‘, ‚Kaufmännischer Direktor/Geschäftsführer‘, ‚Finanzvorstand/Finanzvorständin‘

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); 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 "CFO"?
"CFO" is spelled C-F-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌsiːʔɛfˈʔɔʊ].
What does "CFO" mean?
As a noun, "CFO" means: Chief Financial Officer, ‚Vorstandsmitglied für Finanzen‘, ‚Finanzchef‘, ‚Kaufmännischer Direktor/Geschäftsführer‘, ‚Finanzvorstand/Finanzvorständin‘
How do you pronounce "CFO"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "CFO" is [ˌsiːʔɛfˈʔɔʊ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "CFO" come from?
"CFO" 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 “CFO”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is C-F-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˌsiːʔɛfˈʔɔʊ] (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

Other uncommon German words near this rank

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