gurgeln

[ˈɡʊʁɡl̩n]

/[ˈɡʊʁɡl̩n]/ verb

The verdict

“gurgeln” is uncommon German (frequency #69,312 among 54,401 “G” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#69,312
frequency rank, German
54,401
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - den Rachen mit einer Flüssigkeit spülen, indem man diese im Rachen hält und Luft aus der Lunge durch die Flüssigkeit ausatmet

Key facts for gurgeln
PropertyValue
Headwordgurgeln
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈɡʊʁɡl̩n]
Letters7
Frequency rank#69,312
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gurgeln” 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). gurgeln 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

gurgeln is uncommon German at frequency #69,312 among 54,401 “G” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed [ˈɡʊʁɡl̩n]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for gurgeln in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is gurgeln, spelled G-U-R-G-E-L-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    den Rachen mit einer Flüssigkeit spülen, indem man diese im Rachen hält und Luft aus der Lunge durch die Flüssigkeit ausatmet
  2. 2
    Geräusch von in Bewegung befindlichem Wasser erzeugen, mit Wasser im Mund sprechen

Synonyms

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); 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 "gurgeln"?
"gurgeln" is spelled G-U-R-G-E-L-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɡʊʁɡl̩n].
What does "gurgeln" mean?
As a verb, "gurgeln" means: den Rachen mit einer Flüssigkeit spülen, indem man diese im Rachen hält und Luft aus der Lunge durch die Flüssigkeit ausatmet
How do you pronounce "gurgeln"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gurgeln" is [ˈɡʊʁɡl̩n]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "gurgeln" come from?
"gurgeln" 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 “gurgeln”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is G-U-R-G-E-L-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈɡʊʁɡl̩n] (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list