Kenotaph

[kenoˈtaːf]

/[kenoˈtaːf]/ noun

The verdict

“Kenotaph” 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 May 6, 2026) - ein Grabmal, zur Erinnerung an einen Verstorbenen, der dort aber nicht begraben ist; Scheingrab

Key facts for Kenotaph
PropertyValue
HeadwordKenotaph
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[kenoˈtaːf]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Kenotaph” sits in German frequency

Kenotaph 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.

Rare enough to double-check

Kenotaph is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [kenoˈtaːf]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "ein Grabmal, zur Erinnerung an einen Verstorbenen, der dort aber nicht begraben ist; Scheingrab".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Kenotaph, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is Kenotaph, spelled K-E-N-O-T-A-P-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    ein Grabmal, zur Erinnerung an einen Verstorbenen, der dort aber nicht begraben ist; Scheingrab

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 "Kenotaph"?
"Kenotaph" is spelled K-E-N-O-T-A-P-H. The IPA pronunciation is [kenoˈtaːf].
What does "Kenotaph" mean?
As a noun, "Kenotaph" means: ein Grabmal, zur Erinnerung an einen Verstorbenen, der dort aber nicht begraben ist; Scheingrab
How do you pronounce "Kenotaph"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Kenotaph" is [kenoˈtaːf]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Kenotaph" come from?
"Kenotaph" 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 “Kenotaph”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is K-E-N-O-T-A-P-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [kenoˈtaːf] (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