hinterherspionieren

[hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ʃpi̯oˌniːʁən]

/[hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ʃpi̯oˌniːʁən]/ verb

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

The verdict

“hinterherspionieren” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
19
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - jemandes Tun über einen gewissen Zeitraum heimlich beobachten, überprüfen, verfolgen

Key facts for hinterherspionieren
PropertyValue
Headwordhinterherspionieren
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ʃpi̯oˌniːʁən]
Letters19
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hinterherspionieren” sits in German frequency

hinterherspionieren 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.

Rare enough to double-check

hinterherspionieren is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ʃpi̯oˌniːʁən]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "jemandes Tun über einen gewissen Zeitraum heimlich beobachten, überprüfen, verfolgen".

hinterherspionieren doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is hinterherspionieren, spelled H-I-N-T-E-R-H-E-R-S-P-I-O-N-I-E-R-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    jemandes Tun über einen gewissen Zeitraum heimlich beobachten, überprüfen, verfolgen

Synonyms

hinterherschnüffelnnachschnüffelnnachspionierennachspüren

This word in other languages

avizorar(Español)espionner(Français)

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 "hinterherspionieren"?
"hinterherspionieren" is spelled H-I-N-T-E-R-H-E-R-S-P-I-O-N-I-E-R-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ʃpi̯oˌniːʁən].
What does "hinterherspionieren" mean?
As a verb, "hinterherspionieren" means: jemandes Tun über einen gewissen Zeitraum heimlich beobachten, überprüfen, verfolgen
How do you pronounce "hinterherspionieren"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hinterherspionieren" is [hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ʃpi̯oˌniːʁən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "hinterherspionieren" come from?
"hinterherspionieren" 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 “hinterherspionieren”

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-S-P-I-O-N-I-E-R-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [hɪntɐˈheːɐ̯ʃpi̯oˌniːʁən] (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