gute Nacht

[ˌɡutə ˈnaxt]

/[ˌɡutə ˈnaxt]/ phrase

The verdict

“gute Nacht” 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
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ein Gruß, wenn jemand zu Bett geht; Nachtgruß; Verabschiedung am Tagesende

Key facts for gute Nacht
PropertyValue
Headwordgute Nacht
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ˌɡutə ˈnaxt]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gute Nacht” sits in German frequency

gute Nacht 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 gute Nacht is 10 letters long, classified as a phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˌɡutə ˈnaxt]. 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: "ein Gruß, wenn jemand zu Bett geht; Nachtgruß; Verabschiedung am Tagesende".

gute Nacht has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. 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 its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is gute Nacht, spelled G-U-T-E- -N-A-C-H-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    ein Gruß, wenn jemand zu Bett geht; Nachtgruß; Verabschiedung am Tagesende

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "gute Nacht"?
"gute Nacht" is spelled G-U-T-E- -N-A-C-H-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌɡutə ˈnaxt].
What does "gute Nacht" mean?
As a phrase, "gute Nacht" means: ein Gruß, wenn jemand zu Bett geht; Nachtgruß; Verabschiedung am Tagesende
How do you pronounce "gute Nacht"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gute Nacht" is [ˌɡutə ˈnaxt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "gute Nacht" come from?
"gute Nacht" 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.

Using “gute Nacht”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is G-U-T-E- -N-A-C-H-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˌɡutə ˈnaxt] (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