Fremdscham

[ˈfʁɛmtˌʃaːm]

/[ˈfʁɛmtˌʃaːm]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Fremdscham” is uncommon German (frequency #97,010 among 45,736 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#97,010
frequency rank, German
45,736
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - das Gefühl, sich für eine oder mehrere andere Personen beziehungsweise für deren (als peinlich oder ähnlich empfundene) Handlungen, Verhalten oder dergleichen schämen zu müssen

Key facts for Fremdscham
PropertyValue
HeadwordFremdscham
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈfʁɛmtˌʃaːm]
Letters10
Frequency rank#97,010
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Fremdscham” 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). Fremdscham 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

Fremdscham is uncommon German at frequency #97,010 among 45,736 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈfʁɛmtˌʃaːm]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "das Gefühl, sich für eine oder mehrere andere Personen beziehungsweise für deren (als peinlich oder ähnlich empfundene) Handlungen, Verhalten oder dergleichen schämen zu müssen".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Fremdscham, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is Fremdscham, spelled F-R-E-M-D-S-C-H-A-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    das Gefühl, sich für eine oder mehrere andere Personen beziehungsweise für deren (als peinlich oder ähnlich empfundene) Handlungen, Verhalten oder dergleichen schämen zu müssen

This word in other languages

vicarious embarrassment(English)vergüenza ajena(Español)

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 "Fremdscham"?
"Fremdscham" is spelled F-R-E-M-D-S-C-H-A-M. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfʁɛmtˌʃaːm].
What does "Fremdscham" mean?
As a noun, "Fremdscham" means: das Gefühl, sich für eine oder mehrere andere Personen beziehungsweise für deren (als peinlich oder ähnlich empfundene) Handlungen, Verhalten oder dergleichen schämen zu müssen
How do you pronounce "Fremdscham"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Fremdscham" is [ˈfʁɛmtˌʃaːm]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Fremdscham" come from?
"Fremdscham" 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 “Fremdscham”

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

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