fehlschlagen

[ˈfeːlˌʃlaːɡn̩]

/[ˈfeːlˌʃlaːɡn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

“fehlschlagen” is an uncommon German word, ranked #88,914 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#88,914
frequency rank, German
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - nicht den gewünschten Erfolg bringen

Key facts for fehlschlagen
PropertyValue
Headwordfehlschlagen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈfeːlˌʃlaːɡn̩]
Letters12
Frequency rank#88,914
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fehlschlagen” 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). fehlschlagen 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 fehlschlagen is 12 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈfeːlˌʃlaːɡn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #88,914 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "nicht den gewünschten Erfolg bringen".

Zero misspellings are on record for fehlschlagen in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is fehlschlagen, spelled F-E-H-L-S-C-H-L-A-G-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    nicht den gewünschten Erfolg bringen

Synonyms

danebengehendanebengeratenfehlgehenfloppenin die Hose gehenmissglückenmisslingenmissratenscheiternschiefgehen

Antonyms

gelingenglückenklappen

This word in other languages

abort(English)fallar(Español)échouer(Français)

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 "fehlschlagen"?
"fehlschlagen" is spelled F-E-H-L-S-C-H-L-A-G-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfeːlˌʃlaːɡn̩].
What does "fehlschlagen" mean?
As a verb, "fehlschlagen" means: nicht den gewünschten Erfolg bringen
How do you pronounce "fehlschlagen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fehlschlagen" is [ˈfeːlˌʃlaːɡn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fehlschlagen" come from?
"fehlschlagen" 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 “fehlschlagen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is F-E-H-L-S-C-H-L-A-G-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈfeːlˌʃlaːɡn̩] (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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list