gar nicht

[ˈɡaːɐ̯ nɪçt]

/[ˈɡaːɐ̯ nɪçt]/ phrase

The verdict

“gar nicht” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as a phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - überhaupt nicht

Key facts for gar nicht
PropertyValue
Headwordgar nicht
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ˈɡaːɐ̯ nɪçt]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gar nicht” sits in German frequency

gar nicht 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for gar nicht is 9 letters long, classified as a phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈɡaːɐ̯ nɪçt]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "überhaupt nicht".

gar nicht doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is gar nicht, spelled G-A-R- -N-I-C-H-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    überhaupt nicht

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "gar nicht"?
"gar nicht" is spelled G-A-R- -N-I-C-H-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɡaːɐ̯ nɪçt].
What does "gar nicht" mean?
As a phrase, "gar nicht" means: überhaupt nicht
How do you pronounce "gar nicht"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gar nicht" is [ˈɡaːɐ̯ nɪçt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "gar nicht" come from?
"gar nicht" 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.

Using “gar nicht”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is G-A-R- -N-I-C-H-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈɡaːɐ̯ nɪçt] (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