hinterherlaufen

[hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯fn̩]

/[hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯fn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

“hinterherlaufen” is uncommon German (frequency #56,219 among 59,066 “H” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,219
frequency rank, German
59,066
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - jemandem laufend nachgehen, folgen; hinter jemandem oder etwas her laufen

Key facts for hinterherlaufen
PropertyValue
Headwordhinterherlaufen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯fn̩]
Letters15
Frequency rank#56,219
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hinterherlaufen” 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). hinterherlaufen 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

hinterherlaufen is uncommon German at frequency #56,219 among 59,066 “H” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed [hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯fn̩]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for hinterherlaufen in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is hinterherlaufen, spelled H-I-N-T-E-R-H-E-R-L-A-U-F-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    jemandem laufend nachgehen, folgen; hinter jemandem oder etwas her laufen
  2. 2
    jemanden oder etwas aufmerksam verfolgen, im Blick behalten; sich sehr um jemanden oder etwas bemühen

Synonyms

hinterherrennennachrennen

This word in other languages

courir après(Français)

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 "hinterherlaufen"?
"hinterherlaufen" is spelled H-I-N-T-E-R-H-E-R-L-A-U-F-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯fn̩].
What does "hinterherlaufen" mean?
As a verb, "hinterherlaufen" means: jemandem laufend nachgehen, folgen; hinter jemandem oder etwas her laufen
How do you pronounce "hinterherlaufen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hinterherlaufen" is [hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯fn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "hinterherlaufen" come from?
"hinterherlaufen" 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 “hinterherlaufen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is H-I-N-T-E-R-H-E-R-L-A-U-F-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯fn̩] (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