fatale

[faˈtaːlə]

/[faˈtaːlə]/ adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“fatale” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #24,712 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#24,712
frequency rank, German
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fatal

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fatale vs fate
67% similar
fatale vs faule
67% similar
fatale vs Finale
50% similar

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

Key facts for fatale
PropertyValue
Headwordfatale
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[faˈtaːlə]
Letters6
Frequency rank#24,712
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fatale” 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). fatale 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 fatale is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [faˈtaːlə]. Corpus data places it at rank #24,712 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 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 fatale, with forms such as "aftale", "faatle", and "fatael". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "fate", "faule", "Finale", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is fatale, spelled F-A-T-A-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fatal
  2. 2
    Akkusativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fatal
  3. 3
    Nominativ Plural alle Genera der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fatal
  4. 4
    Akkusativ Plural alle Genera der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fatal
  5. 5
    Nominativ Singular alle Genera der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fatal
  6. 6
    Akkusativ Singular Femininum der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fatal
  7. 7
    Akkusativ Singular Neutrum der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fatal
  8. 8
    Nominativ Singular Femininum der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fatal
  9. 9
    Akkusativ Singular Femininum der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fatal

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aftale,faatle,fatael,fatalle,fatlae,fattale,ffatale,ftaale

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aftale2faatle2fatael2fatalle1fatlae2fattale1ffatale1ftaale2
Edit distance from "fatale"

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 "fatale"?
"fatale" is spelled F-A-T-A-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is [faˈtaːlə].
What does "fatale" mean?
As an adjective, "fatale" means: Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fatal
What words are commonly confused with "fatale"?
"fatale" is commonly confused with "fate", "faule", "Finale". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fatale"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fatale" is [faˈtaːlə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fatale" come from?
"fatale" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “fatale”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is F-A-T-A-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [faˈtaːlə] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “fate” - see the side-by-side comparison. fatale vs fate
  • 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