Ground Zero

[ˈɡʁaʊ̯nd ˈziəʁoʊ]

/[ˈɡʁaʊ̯nd ˈziəʁoʊ]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Gelände des am 9. November 2001 durch einen Terroranschlag zerstörten World Trade Centers in New York

Corpus desk

Index DE-ground-zero · Ground Zero · German

Ground Zero · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 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 Ground Zero
PropertyValue
HeadwordGround Zero
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈɡʁaʊ̯nd ˈziəʁoʊ]
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Ground Zero“ im Deutschen

Ground Zerositzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

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

Rare enough to double-check

Ground Zero is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈɡʁaʊ̯nd ˈziəʁoʊ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Gelände des am 9. November 2001 durch einen Terroranschlag zerstörten World Trade Centers in New York".

No misspelling variants are generated for Ground Zero in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, 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 Ground Zero, spelled G-R-O-U-N-D- -Z-E-R-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Gelände des am 9. November 2001 durch einen Terroranschlag zerstörten World Trade Centers in New York

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. „Durch den Fund von Nanothermit in den Proben des Staubs aus Ground Zero ist der Beweis erbracht, die World Trade Center Gebäude wurden gesprengt, denn so ein Material dürfte gar nicht darin zu finden sein.“

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 "Ground Zero"?
"Ground Zero" is spelled G-R-O-U-N-D- -Z-E-R-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɡʁaʊ̯nd ˈziəʁoʊ].
What does "Ground Zero" mean?
As a noun, "Ground Zero" means: Gelände des am 9. November 2001 durch einen Terroranschlag zerstörten World Trade Centers in New York
How do you pronounce "Ground Zero"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Ground Zero" is [ˈɡʁaʊ̯nd ˈziəʁoʊ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Ground Zero" come from?
"Ground Zero" 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