Fehlstart

[ˈfeːlˌʃtaʁt]

/[ˈfeːlˌʃtaʁt]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Fehlstart” is uncommon German (frequency #58,759 among 45,736 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,759
frequency rank, German
45,736
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sport, Rennen: nicht regelkonformer (meist vorzeitiger) Start

Key facts for Fehlstart
PropertyValue
HeadwordFehlstart
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈfeːlˌʃtaʁt]
Letters9
Frequency rank#58,759
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Fehlstart” 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). Fehlstart lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Fehlstart is uncommon German at frequency #58,759 among 45,736 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈfeːlˌʃtaʁt]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Fehlstart has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is Fehlstart, spelled F-E-H-L-S-T-A-R-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sport, Rennen: nicht regelkonformer (meist vorzeitiger) Start
  2. 2
    missglückter Anfang

This word in other languages

false start(English)faux départ(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 "Fehlstart"?
"Fehlstart" is spelled F-E-H-L-S-T-A-R-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfeːlˌʃtaʁt].
What does "Fehlstart" mean?
As a noun, "Fehlstart" means: Sport, Rennen: nicht regelkonformer (meist vorzeitiger) Start
How do you pronounce "Fehlstart"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Fehlstart" is [ˈfeːlˌʃtaʁt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Fehlstart" come from?
"Fehlstart" 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 “Fehlstart”

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

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

Other uncommon German words near this rank

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