IC

[iːˈtseː]

/[iːˈtseː]/ abbrev

The verdict

“IC” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #9,048 in German word frequency and used as an abbreviation.

#9,048
frequency rank, German
2
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ein in mehreren europäischen Ländern verkehrender Schnellzug; Intercityzug

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

IC vs im
0% similar
IC vs is
0% similar
IC vs ii
0% similar

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

Key facts for IC
PropertyValue
HeadwordIC
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAbbreviation
IPA[iːˈtseː]
Letters2
Frequency rank#9,048
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “IC” 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). IC 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 IC is 2 letters long, classified as an abbreviation, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [iːˈtseː]. Corpus data places it at rank #9,048 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "ein in mehreren europäischen Ländern verkehrender Schnellzug; Intercityzug".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for IC, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "im", "is", "ii", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is IC, spelled I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    ein in mehreren europäischen Ländern verkehrender Schnellzug; Intercityzug

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

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 "IC"?
"IC" is spelled I-C. The IPA pronunciation is [iːˈtseː].
What does "IC" mean?
As an abbreviation, "IC" means: ein in mehreren europäischen Ländern verkehrender Schnellzug; Intercityzug
What words are commonly confused with "IC"?
"IC" is commonly confused with "im", "is", "ii". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "IC"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "IC" is [iːˈtseː]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "IC" come from?
"IC" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “IC”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [iːˈtseː] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “im” - see the side-by-side comparison. IC vs im
  • 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