Däumchen drehen

[ˈdɔɪ̯mçən ˌdʁeːən]

/[ˈdɔɪ̯mçən ˌdʁeːən]/ phrase

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
15
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - nichts tun und Langeweile haben, empfinden

Key facts for Däumchen drehen
PropertyValue
HeadwordDäumchen drehen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ˈdɔɪ̯mçən ˌdʁeːən]
Letters15
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Däumchen drehen” sits in German frequency

Däumchen drehen 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.

Rare enough to double-check

Däumchen drehen is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [ˈdɔɪ̯mçən ˌdʁeːən]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "nichts tun und Langeweile haben, empfinden".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Däumchen drehen, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Däumchen drehen, spelled D-Ä-U-M-C-H-E-N- -D-R-E-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    nichts tun und Langeweile haben, empfinden

This word in other languages

kick one’s heels(English)se tourner les pouces(Français)

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 "Däumchen drehen"?
"Däumchen drehen" is spelled D-Ä-U-M-C-H-E-N- -D-R-E-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈdɔɪ̯mçən ˌdʁeːən].
What does "Däumchen drehen" mean?
As a phrase, "Däumchen drehen" means: nichts tun und Langeweile haben, empfinden
How do you pronounce "Däumchen drehen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Däumchen drehen" is [ˈdɔɪ̯mçən ˌdʁeːən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Däumchen drehen" come from?
"Däumchen drehen" 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.

Using “Däumchen drehen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is D-Ä-U-M-C-H-E-N- -D-R-E-H-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈdɔɪ̯mçən ˌdʁeːən] (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