ehrlich gesagt

[ˈeːɐ̯lɪç ɡəˈzaːkt]

/[ˈeːɐ̯lɪç ɡəˈzaːkt]/ phrase

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Ausdruck, der bekräftigen soll, dass man offen sagt, was man wirklich denkt

Corpus desk

Index DE-ehrlich-gesagt · ehrlich gesagt · German

ehrlich gesagt · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" 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 ehrlich gesagt
PropertyValue
Headwordehrlich gesagt
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ˈeːɐ̯lɪç ɡəˈzaːkt]
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „ehrlich gesagt“ im Deutschen

ehrlich gesagtliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

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

Rare enough to double-check

ehrlich gesagt is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [ˈeːɐ̯lɪç ɡəˈzaːkt]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Ausdruck, der bekräftigen soll, dass man offen sagt, was man wirklich denkt".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for ehrlich gesagt, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is ehrlich gesagt, spelled E-H-R-L-I-C-H- -G-E-S-A-G-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ausdruck, der bekräftigen soll, dass man offen sagt, was man wirklich denkt

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Es ist mir ehrlich gesagt egal, was jemand über mich denkt.
  2. „»Ehrlich gesagt, Frauen interessieren mich wahnsinnig.« ([der Schauspieler] Helmut Fischer als Monaco Franze)“

Synonyms

offen gesagt

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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ehrlich gesagt"?
"ehrlich gesagt" is spelled E-H-R-L-I-C-H- -G-E-S-A-G-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈeːɐ̯lɪç ɡəˈzaːkt].
What does "ehrlich gesagt" mean?
As a phrase, "ehrlich gesagt" means: Ausdruck, der bekräftigen soll, dass man offen sagt, was man wirklich denkt
How do you pronounce "ehrlich gesagt"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ehrlich gesagt" is [ˈeːɐ̯lɪç ɡəˈzaːkt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ehrlich gesagt" come from?
"ehrlich gesagt" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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