durch

[dʊʁç]

/[dʊʁç]/ prep

The verdict

“durch” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #67 in German word frequency and used as a preposition.

#67
frequency rank, German
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - in etwas hinein und auf der anderen Seite wieder heraus (wobei oft der Teil dazwischen das Wichtige ist)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

durch vs dürr
40% similar
durch vs dürfe
40% similar
durch vs dürft
40% similar

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

Key facts for durch
PropertyValue
Headworddurch
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPreposition
IPA[dʊʁç]
Letters5
Frequency rank#67
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “durch” 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). durch 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 durch is 5 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [dʊʁç]. Corpus data places it at rank #67 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for durch, with forms such as "ddurch", "druch", and "ducrh". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "dürr", "dürfe", "dürft", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

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 durch, spelled D-U-R-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    in etwas hinein und auf der anderen Seite wieder heraus (wobei oft der Teil dazwischen das Wichtige ist)
  2. 2
    eine Vermittler-Funktion, das heißt die Sache B wird durch die Sache A erreicht
  3. 3
    über den ganzen Verlauf einer bestimmten Zeit

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddurch,druch,ducrh,durcch,durchh,durhc,durrch,udrch

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of durch - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ddurch1druch2ducrh2durcch1durchh1durhc2durrch1udrch2
Edit distance from "durch"

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 "durch"?
"durch" is spelled D-U-R-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is [dʊʁç].
What does "durch" mean?
As a preposition, "durch" means: in etwas hinein und auf der anderen Seite wieder heraus (wobei oft der Teil dazwischen das Wichtige ist)
What words are commonly confused with "durch"?
"durch" is commonly confused with "dürr", "dürfe", "dürft". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "durch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "durch" is [dʊʁç]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "durch" come from?
"durch" 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 “durch”

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

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