Hirngespinst

[ˈhɪʁnɡəˌʃpɪnst]

/[ˈhɪʁnɡəˌʃpɪnst]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Hirngespinst” is an uncommon German word, ranked #53,780 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#53,780
frequency rank, German
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Erzeugnis einer fehlgeleiteten oder übersteigerten Einbildungskraft; Idee, die fantastisch, abwegig, absurd ist

Key facts for Hirngespinst
PropertyValue
HeadwordHirngespinst
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈhɪʁnɡəˌʃpɪnst]
Letters12
Frequency rank#53,780
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Hirngespinst” 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). Hirngespinst 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 Hirngespinst is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈhɪʁnɡəˌʃpɪnst]. Corpus data places it at rank #53,780 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Erzeugnis einer fehlgeleiteten oder übersteigerten Einbildungskraft; Idee, die fantastisch, abwegig, absurd ist".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Hirngespinst, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

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 Hirngespinst, spelled H-I-R-N-G-E-S-P-I-N-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Erzeugnis einer fehlgeleiteten oder übersteigerten Einbildungskraft; Idee, die fantastisch, abwegig, absurd ist

This word in other languages

chimera(English)quimera(Español)chimère(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 "Hirngespinst"?
"Hirngespinst" is spelled H-I-R-N-G-E-S-P-I-N-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈhɪʁnɡəˌʃpɪnst].
What does "Hirngespinst" mean?
As a noun, "Hirngespinst" means: Erzeugnis einer fehlgeleiteten oder übersteigerten Einbildungskraft; Idee, die fantastisch, abwegig, absurd ist
How do you pronounce "Hirngespinst"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Hirngespinst" is [ˈhɪʁnɡəˌʃpɪnst]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Hirngespinst" come from?
"Hirngespinst" 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 “Hirngespinst”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is H-I-R-N-G-E-S-P-I-N-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈhɪʁnɡəˌʃpɪnst] (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