decline

[dɪˈklaɪn]

/[dɪˈklaɪn]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Rückgang, Abnahme, Niedergang, Verfall

Corpus desk

Index DE-decline · decline · German

decline · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" 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 decline
PropertyValue
Headworddecline
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[dɪˈklaɪn]
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „decline“ im Deutschen

declinesitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

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

Rare enough to double-check

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

Zero misspellings are on record for decline in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is decline, spelled D-E-C-L-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Rückgang, Abnahme, Niedergang, Verfall
  2. 2
    (körperlicher) Verfall, Nachlassen der Gesundheit

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. When we take it with the decline of his fortunes, it seems to indicate some evil influence.

Synonyms

degeneracydecaydecadencewanediminutionfalling offdeclensiondeclinationconsumptionphthisismarasmusatrophygradual wastingprogressive emaciationdownfalldeterioration

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 "decline"?
"decline" is spelled D-E-C-L-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is [dɪˈklaɪn].
What does "decline" mean?
As a noun, "decline" means: Rückgang, Abnahme, Niedergang, Verfall
How do you pronounce "decline"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "decline" is [dɪˈklaɪn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "decline" come from?
"decline" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list