DDR

[ˌdeːdeːˈʔɛʁ]

/[ˌdeːdeːˈʔɛʁ]/ name

The verdict

“DDR” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,350 in German word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#1,350
frequency rank, German
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Kurzwort für Deutsche Demokratische Republik

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

DDR vs du
0% similar
DDR vs de
0% similar
DDR vs do
0% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for DDR
PropertyValue
HeadwordDDR
LanguageGerman
Part of speechProper noun
IPA[ˌdeːdeːˈʔɛʁ]
Letters3
Frequency rank#1,350
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “DDR” 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). DDR lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for DDR is 3 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˌdeːdeːˈʔɛʁ]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,350 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Kurzwort für Deutsche Demokratische Republik".

DDR has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "du", "de", "do", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is DDR, spelled D-D-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Kurzwort für Deutsche Demokratische Republik

Antonyms

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 "DDR"?
"DDR" is spelled D-D-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌdeːdeːˈʔɛʁ].
What does "DDR" mean?
As a proper noun, "DDR" means: Kurzwort für Deutsche Demokratische Republik
What words are commonly confused with "DDR"?
"DDR" is commonly confused with "du", "de", "do". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "DDR"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "DDR" is [ˌdeːdeːˈʔɛʁ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "DDR" come from?
"DDR" 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 “DDR”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is D-D-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˌdeːdeːˈʔɛʁ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “du” - see the side-by-side comparison. DDR vs du
  • 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