firn

[fɪʁn]

/[fɪʁn]/ adj

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - alt (für Wein gebraucht)

Corpus desk

Index DE-firn · firn · German

firn · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "F" 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 firn
PropertyValue
Headwordfirn
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[fɪʁn]
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „firn“ im Deutschen

firnschafft es nicht in die Top 100.000 des Deutschen: Zone für Fach-, Alt- oder Seltenwortschatz.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

firn is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed [fɪʁn]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "alt (für Wein gebraucht)".

No misspelling variants are generated for firn in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is firn, spelled F-I-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    alt (für Wein gebraucht)

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Auch wenn diese Flasche Wein firn ist, so ist dennoch ihr Aroma ein Genuss.
  2. „Zu firne Weine schmecken stumpf.“

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 "firn"?
"firn" is spelled F-I-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is [fɪʁn].
What does "firn" mean?
As an adjective, "firn" means: alt (für Wein gebraucht)
How do you pronounce "firn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "firn" is [fɪʁn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "firn" come from?
"firn" 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