counterfeit

[kaʊntəfɪt]

/[kaʊntəfɪt]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Fälschung

Corpus desk

Index DE-counterfeit · counterfeit · German

counterfeit · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 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 counterfeit
PropertyValue
Headwordcounterfeit
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[kaʊntəfɪt]
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „counterfeit“ im Deutschen

counterfeitliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

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

Rare enough to double-check

counterfeit is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [kaʊntəfɪt]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for counterfeit, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is counterfeit, spelled C-O-U-N-T-E-R-F-E-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Fälschung
  2. 2
    Falschgeld

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The oil painting sold at the auction for more than 5 million dollars turned out to be a counterfeit.

Synonyms

forgeryfraudulent copyshamfakecopy

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 "counterfeit"?
"counterfeit" is spelled C-O-U-N-T-E-R-F-E-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is [kaʊntəfɪt].
What does "counterfeit" mean?
As a noun, "counterfeit" means: Fälschung
How do you pronounce "counterfeit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "counterfeit" is [kaʊntəfɪt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "counterfeit" come from?
"counterfeit" 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