conditio sine qua non

[kɔnˈdiːt͡si̯o ˈziːnə kvaː noːn]

/[kɔnˈdiːt͡si̯o ˈziːnə kvaː noːn]/ phrase

The verdict

“conditio sine qua non” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
21
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - notwendige Bedingung; Forderung, die unerlässlich ist

Corpus desk

Index DE-conditio-sine-qua-non · conditio sine qua non · German

conditio sine qua non · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 21 letters
  • VOW-9 9 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" 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 conditio sine qua non
PropertyValue
Headwordconditio sine qua non
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[kɔnˈdiːt͡si̯o ˈziːnə kvaː noːn]
Letters21
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „conditio sine qua non“ im Deutschen

conditio sine qua nonschafft 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

conditio sine qua non is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [kɔnˈdiːt͡si̯o ˈziːnə kvaː noːn]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "notwendige Bedingung; Forderung, die unerlässlich ist".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for conditio sine qua non, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is conditio sine qua non, spelled C-O-N-D-I-T-I-O- -S-I-N-E- -Q-U-A- -N-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    notwendige Bedingung; Forderung, die unerlässlich ist

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 "conditio sine qua non"?
"conditio sine qua non" is spelled C-O-N-D-I-T-I-O- -S-I-N-E- -Q-U-A- -N-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is [kɔnˈdiːt͡si̯o ˈziːnə kvaː noːn].
What does "conditio sine qua non" mean?
As a phrase, "conditio sine qua non" means: notwendige Bedingung; Forderung, die unerlässlich ist
How do you pronounce "conditio sine qua non"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "conditio sine qua non" is [kɔnˈdiːt͡si̯o ˈziːnə kvaː noːn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "conditio sine qua non" come from?
"conditio sine qua non" 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