katholisch

[kaˈtoːlɪʃ]

/[kaˈtoːlɪʃ]/ adj

The verdict

“katholisch” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #13,407 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#13,407
frequency rank, German
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - allumfassend, im Folgenden insbesondere als Eigenschaft einiger christlicher Konfessionen, die allgemeine, beziehungsweise allumfassende Kirche zu sein, oder ihr anzugehören

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

katholisch vs katholische
91% similar
katholisch vs katholischen
83% similar
katholisch vs katholischer
83% similar

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

Key facts for katholisch
PropertyValue
Headwordkatholisch
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[kaˈtoːlɪʃ]
Letters10
Frequency rank#13,407
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “katholisch” 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). katholisch 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 katholisch is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [kaˈtoːlɪʃ]. Corpus data places it at rank #13,407 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for katholisch, with forms such as "aktholisch", "kahtolisch", and "kathholisch". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "katholische", "katholischen", "katholischer", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is katholisch, spelled K-A-T-H-O-L-I-S-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    allumfassend, im Folgenden insbesondere als Eigenschaft einiger christlicher Konfessionen, die allgemeine, beziehungsweise allumfassende Kirche zu sein, oder ihr anzugehören
  2. 2
    die römisch-katholische Kirche mit dem Papst als Oberhaupt bezeichnend, betreffend; ihr angehörend

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aktholisch,kahtolisch,kathholisch,kathloisch,kathoilsch,katholicsh,katholiscch,katholischh,katholishc,katholissch,kathollisch,katholsich,katohlisch,kattholisch,kkatholisch,ktaholisch

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of katholisch - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

aktholisch2kahtolisch2kathholisch1kathloisch2kathoilsch2katholicsh2katholiscch1katholischh1
Edit distance from "katholisch"

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 "katholisch"?
"katholisch" is spelled K-A-T-H-O-L-I-S-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is [kaˈtoːlɪʃ].
What does "katholisch" mean?
As an adjective, "katholisch" means: allumfassend, im Folgenden insbesondere als Eigenschaft einiger christlicher Konfessionen, die allgemeine, beziehungsweise allumfassende Kirche zu sein, oder ihr anzugehören
What words are commonly confused with "katholisch"?
"katholisch" is commonly confused with "katholische", "katholischen", "katholischer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "katholisch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "katholisch" is [kaˈtoːlɪʃ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "katholisch" come from?
"katholisch" 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 “katholisch”

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

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