Großvater

[ˈɡʁoːsˌfaːtɐ]

/[ˈɡʁoːsˌfaːtɐ]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Vater des Vaters oder der Mutter

Corpus desk

Index DE-gro-vater · Großvater · German

Großvater · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "G" 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 Großvater
PropertyValue
HeadwordGroßvater
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈɡʁoːsˌfaːtɐ]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Großvater“ im Deutschen

Großvaterliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

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

Rare enough to double-check

Großvater is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈɡʁoːsˌfaːtɐ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for Großvater in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is Großvater, spelled G-R-O-S-S-V-A-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Vater des Vaters oder der Mutter
  2. 2
    alter Mann

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Mein Großvater lebt noch.
  2. „Welch ein Haushalt! Da wird einem alles geboten, was auf Erden je gegessen oder getrunken werden kann. Großvater, Vater, Mutter und Kind essen, trinken, spielen Piano, schießen Pistolen, a tempo und zu jeder Tageszeit im gleichen Salon und Speisezimmer nach hinten hinaus.“

Synonyms

AhnÄhneEhniNeniGrossättiGrosspapiGroßpapaOpaOpiOpapa

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 "Großvater"?
"Großvater" is spelled G-R-O-SS-V-A-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɡʁoːsˌfaːtɐ].
What does "Großvater" mean?
As a noun, "Großvater" means: Vater des Vaters oder der Mutter
How do you pronounce "Großvater"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Großvater" is [ˈɡʁoːsˌfaːtɐ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Großvater" come from?
"Großvater" 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