headache

[ˈhɛdˌeɪk]

/[ˈhɛdˌeɪk]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) — Kopfweh, Kopfschmerz

Key facts for headache
PropertyValue
Headwordheadache
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈhɛdˌeɪk]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “headache” sits in German frequency

headache 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 headache is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈhɛdˌeɪk]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for headache in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

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. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct German form is headache, spelled H-E-A-D-A-C-H-E, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    Kopfweh, Kopfschmerz
  2. 2
    Problem, Kopfzerbrechen

Synonyms

cephalalgiachoreannoyance

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.

Cite this page

Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY-SA). Copy the citation:

PlainSpell, “headache, German word data” (May 6, 2026). Derived from Wiktionary (kaikki.org, CC BY-SA) and an open word-frequency list. https://plainspell.com/de/wort/headache

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "headache"?
"headache" is spelled H-E-A-D-A-C-H-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈhɛdˌeɪk].
What does "headache" mean?
As a noun, "headache" means: Kopfweh, Kopfschmerz
How do you pronounce "headache"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "headache" is [ˈhɛdˌeɪk]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "headache" come from?
"headache" 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 “headache”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is H-E-A-D-A-C-H-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈhɛdˌeɪk] (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

Nearby German words

Other entries that begin with the letter H in our German index:

Explore PlainSpell

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