Erlkönig

Name: Erlkönig, German Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

[ˈɛʁlkøːnɪç]

/[ˈɛʁlkøːnɪç]/ noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“Erlkönig” is an uncommon German word, ranked #71,291 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#71,291
frequency rank, German: 8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - nicht recht fassbare Schauergestalt, Titel einer Ballade von Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1782) (vertont von Franz Schubert und Carl Loewe)

Key facts for Erlkönig
Property	Value
Headword	Erlkönig
Language	German
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	[ˈɛʁlkøːnɪç]
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#71,291
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Erlkönig” 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). Erlkönig lands here:

#71,291

#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 Erlkönig is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈɛʁlkøːnɪç]. Corpus data places it at rank #71,291 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for Erlkönig in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is Erlkönig, spelled E-R-L-K-Ö-N-I-G.

Definition

1
nicht recht fassbare Schauergestalt, Titel einer Ballade von Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1782) (vertont von Franz Schubert und Carl Loewe)
2
getarnter Prototyp eines Fahrzeugs in der Erprobungsphase

Synonyms

Prototyp

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 "Erlkönig"?

"Erlkönig" is spelled E-R-L-K-Ö-N-I-G. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɛʁlkøːnɪç].

What does "Erlkönig" mean?

As a noun, "Erlkönig" means: nicht recht fassbare Schauergestalt, Titel einer Ballade von Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1782) (vertont von Franz Schubert und Carl Loewe)

How do you pronounce "Erlkönig"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Erlkönig" is [ˈɛʁlkøːnɪç]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What language does "Erlkönig" come from?

"Erlkönig" 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 “Erlkönig”

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

The one correct German spelling is E-R-L-K-Ö-N-I-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as [ˈɛʁlkøːnɪç] (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.