Kauderwelsch

[ˈkaʊ̯dɐˌvɛlʃ]

/[ˈkaʊ̯dɐˌvɛlʃ]/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“Kauderwelsch” is uncommon German (frequency #50,621 among 55,078 “K” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,621
frequency rank, German
55,078
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - schwer- oder unverständliche Sprache; aus Elementen verschiedener Sprachen gemischte Ausdrucksweise, fehlerhafte Ausdrucksweise

Key facts for Kauderwelsch
PropertyValue
HeadwordKauderwelsch
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈkaʊ̯dɐˌvɛlʃ]
Letters12
Frequency rank#50,621
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Kauderwelsch” 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). Kauderwelsch lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Kauderwelsch is uncommon German at frequency #50,621 among 55,078 “K” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈkaʊ̯dɐˌvɛlʃ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "schwer- oder unverständliche Sprache; aus Elementen verschiedener Sprachen gemischte Ausdrucksweise, fehlerhafte Ausdrucksweise".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for Kauderwelsch, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Kauderwelsch, spelled K-A-U-D-E-R-W-E-L-S-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    schwer- oder unverständliche Sprache; aus Elementen verschiedener Sprachen gemischte Ausdrucksweise, fehlerhafte Ausdrucksweise

This word in other languages

gibberish(English)baragouin(Français)

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 "Kauderwelsch"?
"Kauderwelsch" is spelled K-A-U-D-E-R-W-E-L-S-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈkaʊ̯dɐˌvɛlʃ].
What does "Kauderwelsch" mean?
As a noun, "Kauderwelsch" means: schwer- oder unverständliche Sprache; aus Elementen verschiedener Sprachen gemischte Ausdrucksweise, fehlerhafte Ausdrucksweise
How do you pronounce "Kauderwelsch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Kauderwelsch" is [ˈkaʊ̯dɐˌvɛlʃ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Kauderwelsch" come from?
"Kauderwelsch" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “Kauderwelsch”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is K-A-U-D-E-R-W-E-L-S-C-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈkaʊ̯dɐˌvɛlʃ] (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

Other uncommon German words near this rank

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