Kanaille

[kaˈnaljə]

/[kaˈnaljə]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Schimpfwort, einen Menschen als Schurken bezeichnend

Corpus desk

Index DE-kanaille · Kanaille · German

Kanaille · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "K" 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 Kanaille
PropertyValue
HeadwordKanaille
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[kaˈnaljə]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Kanaille“ im Deutschen

Kanailleliegt 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

Kanaille is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [kaˈnaljə]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for Kanaille, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Kanaille, spelled K-A-N-A-I-L-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Schimpfwort, einen Menschen als Schurken bezeichnend
  2. 2
    Menschenmenge aus heruntergekommenen oder zwielichtigen Personen

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Sie will unbedingt, dass er endlich seinen Außenminister Alexander Haig rauswirft, diese Kanaille, die sich erdreistet hatte, zu behaupten: "Bei mir liegt jetzt alle Verantwortung!"
  2. Die Kanaille rottete sich am Stadttor zusammen.

Synonyms

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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Kanaille"?
"Kanaille" is spelled K-A-N-A-I-L-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is [kaˈnaljə].
What does "Kanaille" mean?
As a noun, "Kanaille" means: Schimpfwort, einen Menschen als Schurken bezeichnend
How do you pronounce "Kanaille"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Kanaille" is [kaˈnaljə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Kanaille" come from?
"Kanaille" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list