Knallerbse

[ˈknalˌʔɛʁpsə]

/[ˈknalˌʔɛʁpsə]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - kleiner kugelförmiger Feuerwerkskörper, der beim Aufprall knallend explodiert

Corpus desk

Index DE-knallerbse · Knallerbse · German

Knallerbse · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 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 Knallerbse
PropertyValue
HeadwordKnallerbse
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈknalˌʔɛʁpsə]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Knallerbse“ im Deutschen

Knallerbseliegt 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

Knallerbse is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈknalˌʔɛʁpsə]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Knallerbse has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is Knallerbse, spelled K-N-A-L-L-E-R-B-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    kleiner kugelförmiger Feuerwerkskörper, der beim Aufprall knallend explodiert
  2. 2
    weiße Frucht der Gewöhnlichen Schneebeere (Symphoricarpos albus), die beim Zerdrücken ein knackendes Geräusch erzeugt
  3. 3
    jemand, der als dumm, einfältig oder als nicht sonderlich kompetent angesehen wird

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Er ließ am Silvesterabend ein paar Knallerbsen im Garten zerspringen.
  2. „Am Abend war die ganze Stadt erleuchtet; und die Soldaten ſchoſſen mit Kanonen und die Knaben mit Knallerbſen; und es wurde gegeſſen und getrunken, angeſtoßen und geſprungen oben im Schloſſe.“

Synonyms

KnallteufelKnallchargeKnallkopfKnallkoppKnalltüte

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 "Knallerbse"?
"Knallerbse" is spelled K-N-A-L-L-E-R-B-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈknalˌʔɛʁpsə].
What does "Knallerbse" mean?
As a noun, "Knallerbse" means: kleiner kugelförmiger Feuerwerkskörper, der beim Aufprall knallend explodiert
How do you pronounce "Knallerbse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Knallerbse" is [ˈknalˌʔɛʁpsə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Knallerbse" come from?
"Knallerbse" 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