ingenious

[ɪnˈdʒiːnɪəs]

/[ɪnˈdʒiːnɪəs]/ adj

The verdict

“ingenious” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - genial, erfinderisch, findig, geistreich, klug (einfache Lösungen für komplexe Probleme finden)

Key facts for ingenious
PropertyValue
Headwordingenious
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ɪnˈdʒiːnɪəs]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ingenious” sits in German frequency

ingenious 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for ingenious is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɪnˈdʒiːnɪəs]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

ingenious has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is ingenious, spelled I-N-G-E-N-I-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    genial, erfinderisch, findig, geistreich, klug (einfache Lösungen für komplexe Probleme finden)
  2. 2
    sinnvoll, kunstvoll (eine Sache die ihrem Anspruch gerecht wird)
  3. 3
    raffiniert (sehr kluge Lösung, Methode, undsoweiter)

Synonyms

inventivegiftedablesagaciouscleverbrightreadyartfulthat shows inventionexhibiting ingenuitycleverfertileadroitshrewdwitty

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 "ingenious"?
"ingenious" is spelled I-N-G-E-N-I-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ɪnˈdʒiːnɪəs].
What does "ingenious" mean?
As an adjective, "ingenious" means: genial, erfinderisch, findig, geistreich, klug (einfache Lösungen für komplexe Probleme finden)
How do you pronounce "ingenious"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ingenious" is [ɪnˈdʒiːnɪəs]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ingenious" come from?
"ingenious" 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 “ingenious”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is I-N-G-E-N-I-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ɪnˈdʒiːnɪəs] (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