Herrschaft

[ˈhɛʁʃaft]

/[ˈhɛʁʃaft]/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“Herrschaft” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #3,590 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,590
frequency rank, German
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Bezeichnung für Regierende, Personen mit Leitungsfunktion

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Herrschaft vs herrscht
70% similar
Herrschaft vs Herrschaften
83% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Herrschaft
PropertyValue
HeadwordHerrschaft
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈhɛʁʃaft]
Letters10
Frequency rank#3,590
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Herrschaft” 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). Herrschaft lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for Herrschaft is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈhɛʁʃaft]. Corpus data places it at rank #3,590 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for Herrschaft, with forms such as "ehrrschaft", "herrcshaft", and "herrscahft". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "herrscht", "Herrschaften", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Herrschaft, spelled H-E-R-R-S-C-H-A-F-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Bezeichnung für Regierende, Personen mit Leitungsfunktion
  2. 2
    Amtsperiode eines autokratisch Regierenden; Regierungsdauer eines Königs oder Regimes
  3. 3
    Regierungsgewalt, Art und Weise, in der jemand (hauptsächlich Menschen und übertragen auch andere Lebewesen) regiert wird
  4. 4
    Kontrolle über Dinge oder Person, die sie ausübt
  5. 5
    das Territorium oder Lehen eines Landesherrn
  6. 6
    vornehme Anrede für eine Gruppe von Personen (insbesondere gemischten Geschlechts)

Synonyms

FührungLeitungRegierungHerrschaftszeitRegentschaftBefehlsgewaltRegierungsgewaltGewaltMachtBeherrschungKontrolleDamen und Herren

Antonyms

GesindeUntertan

This word in other languages

lordship(English)dominación(Español)règne(Français)controle(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ehrrschaft,herrcshaft,herrscahft,herrscchaft,herrschafft,herrschaftt,herrschatf,herrschfat,herrschhaft,herrshcaft,herrsschaft,herschaft,hersrchaft,hherrschaft,hrerschaft

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Herrschaft - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ehrrschaft2herrcshaft2herrscahft2herrscchaft1herrschafft1herrschaftt1herrschatf2herrschfat2
Edit distance from "Herrschaft"

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 "Herrschaft"?
"Herrschaft" is spelled H-E-R-R-S-C-H-A-F-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈhɛʁʃaft].
What does "Herrschaft" mean?
As a noun, "Herrschaft" means: Bezeichnung für Regierende, Personen mit Leitungsfunktion
What words are commonly confused with "Herrschaft"?
"Herrschaft" is commonly confused with "herrscht", "Herrschaften". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Herrschaft"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Herrschaft" is [ˈhɛʁʃaft]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Herrschaft" come from?
"Herrschaft" 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 “Herrschaft”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is H-E-R-R-S-C-H-A-F-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈhɛʁʃaft] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “herrscht” - see the side-by-side comparison. Herrschaft vs herrscht
  • 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