Frikativ

[fʁikaˈtiːf]

/[fʁikaˈtiːf]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Laut, der durch Reibung mittels Verengung des Artikulationskanals erzeugt wird. Eine besondere Untergruppe sind die so genannten Zischlaute (Sibilanten) wie [s] und [z].

Corpus desk

Index DE-frikativ · Frikativ · German

Frikativ · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • 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 Frikativ
PropertyValue
HeadwordFrikativ
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[fʁikaˈtiːf]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Frikativ” sits in German frequency

Frikativ falls outside the top-100,000 ranked German words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

Frikativ is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [fʁikaˈtiːf]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Laut, der durch Reibung mittels Verengung des Artikulationskanals erzeugt wird. Eine besondere Untergruppe sind die so genannten Zischlaute (Sibilanten) wie [s] und [z].".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Frikativ, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Frikativ, spelled F-R-I-K-A-T-I-V.

Definition

  1. 1
    Laut, der durch Reibung mittels Verengung des Artikulationskanals erzeugt wird. Eine besondere Untergruppe sind die so genannten Zischlaute (Sibilanten) wie [s] und [z].

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Frikativ"?
"Frikativ" is spelled F-R-I-K-A-T-I-V. The IPA pronunciation is [fʁikaˈtiːf].
What does "Frikativ" mean?
As a noun, "Frikativ" means: Laut, der durch Reibung mittels Verengung des Artikulationskanals erzeugt wird. Eine besondere Untergruppe sind die so genannten Zischlaute (Sibilanten) wie [s] und [z].
How do you pronounce "Frikativ"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Frikativ" is [fʁikaˈtiːf]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Frikativ" come from?
"Frikativ" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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.
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