curriculum vitae

[…]

/[…]/ noun

The verdict

“curriculum vitae” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
16
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Lebenslauf

Key facts for curriculum vitae
PropertyValue
Headwordcurriculum vitae
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[…]
Letters16
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “curriculum vitae” sits in German frequency

curriculum vitae 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for curriculum vitae is 16 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as […]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Lebenslauf".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for curriculum vitae, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology 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 curriculum vitae, spelled C-U-R-R-I-C-U-L-U-M- -V-I-T-A-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lebenslauf

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 "curriculum vitae"?
"curriculum vitae" is spelled C-U-R-R-I-C-U-L-U-M- -V-I-T-A-E. The IPA pronunciation is […].
What does "curriculum vitae" mean?
As a noun, "curriculum vitae" means: Lebenslauf
How do you pronounce "curriculum vitae"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "curriculum vitae" is […]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "curriculum vitae" come from?
"curriculum vitae" 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 “curriculum vitae”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is C-U-R-R-I-C-U-L-U-M- -V-I-T-A-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as […] (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list