Erstsprache

[ˈeːɐ̯stˌʃpʁaːxə]

/[ˈeːɐ̯stˌʃpʁaːxə]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - diejenige Sprache, die ein Kind als erste/wichtigste Sprache erlernt und verwendet, in den meisten Fällen die Muttersprache

Corpus desk

Index DE-erstsprache · Erstsprache · German

Erstsprache · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-3 3 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 Erstsprache
PropertyValue
HeadwordErstsprache
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈeːɐ̯stˌʃpʁaːxə]
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Erstsprache“ im Deutschen

Erstsprachesitzt 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

Erstsprache is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈeːɐ̯stˌʃpʁaːxə]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "diejenige Sprache, die ein Kind als erste/wichtigste Sprache erlernt und verwendet, in den meisten Fällen die Muttersprache".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Erstsprache, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Erstsprache, spelled E-R-S-T-S-P-R-A-C-H-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    diejenige Sprache, die ein Kind als erste/wichtigste Sprache erlernt und verwendet, in den meisten Fällen die Muttersprache

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Unsere Erstsprache ist die erste Sprache, die wir im Spracherwerb gelernt haben.
  2. Erstsprache wird in der Spracherwerbsforschung verwendet, um den Gegensatz zur Zweitsprache zu betonen.

Synonyms

L1S 1

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Erstsprache"?
"Erstsprache" is spelled E-R-S-T-S-P-R-A-C-H-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈeːɐ̯stˌʃpʁaːxə].
What does "Erstsprache" mean?
As a noun, "Erstsprache" means: diejenige Sprache, die ein Kind als erste/wichtigste Sprache erlernt und verwendet, in den meisten Fällen die Muttersprache
How do you pronounce "Erstsprache"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Erstsprache" is [ˈeːɐ̯stˌʃpʁaːxə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Erstsprache" come from?
"Erstsprache" 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