Homo sapiens sapiens

[ˈhoːmo ˈzaːpi̯ɛns ˈzaːpi̯ɛns]

/[ˈhoːmo ˈzaːpi̯ɛns ˈzaːpi̯ɛns]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
20
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - ältere, nicht mehr empfohlene Bezeichnung für den modernen Menschen

Corpus desk

Index DE-homo-sapiens-sapiens · Homo sapiens sapiens · German

Homo sapiens sapiens · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 20 letters
  • VOW-8 8 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "H" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Homo sapiens sapiens
PropertyValue
HeadwordHomo sapiens sapiens
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈhoːmo ˈzaːpi̯ɛns ˈzaːpi̯ɛns]
Letters20
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Homo sapiens sapiens“ im Deutschen

Homo sapiens sapiensliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Homo sapiens sapiens is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈhoːmo ˈzaːpi̯ɛns ˈzaːpi̯ɛns]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "ältere, nicht mehr empfohlene Bezeichnung für den modernen Menschen".

No generated misspelling entries exist for Homo sapiens sapiens in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

No documented word history exists for this headword, 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 Homo sapiens sapiens, spelled H-O-M-O- -S-A-P-I-E-N-S- -S-A-P-I-E-N-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    ältere, nicht mehr empfohlene Bezeichnung für den modernen Menschen

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how Homo sapiens sapiens appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. „Vor gut 40.000 Jahren war es, da griff der Homo sapiens sapiens, der besonders kluge Mensch, nach einem Stück Kohle und malte eine Gazelle auf die Felswand.“

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 "Homo sapiens sapiens"?
"Homo sapiens sapiens" is spelled H-O-M-O- -S-A-P-I-E-N-S- -S-A-P-I-E-N-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈhoːmo ˈzaːpi̯ɛns ˈzaːpi̯ɛns].
What does "Homo sapiens sapiens" mean?
As a noun, "Homo sapiens sapiens" means: ältere, nicht mehr empfohlene Bezeichnung für den modernen Menschen
How do you pronounce "Homo sapiens sapiens"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Homo sapiens sapiens" is [ˈhoːmo ˈzaːpi̯ɛns ˈzaːpi̯ɛns]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Homo sapiens sapiens" come from?
"Homo sapiens sapiens" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list