Lateral

Name: Lateral, German Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

[latəˈʁaːl]

/[latəˈʁaːl]/ noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“Lateral” is an uncommon German word, ranked #80,612 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#80,612
frequency rank, German: 7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Konsonant (Mitlaut), der durch den seitlich an der Zunge vorbeiströmenden Artikulationsstrom erzeugt wird

Key facts for Lateral
Property	Value
Headword	Lateral
Language	German
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	[latəˈʁaːl]
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#80,612
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Lateral” 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). Lateral lands here:

#80,612

#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 Lateral is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [latəˈʁaːl]. Corpus data places it at rank #80,612 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.

No generated misspelling entries exist for Lateral in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Lateral, spelled L-A-T-E-R-A-L.

Definition

1
Konsonant (Mitlaut), der durch den seitlich an der Zunge vorbeiströmenden Artikulationsstrom erzeugt wird
2
ein scheinbar paradoxes Rätsel, das durch Ja-Nein-Fragen gelöst werden kann

Synonyms

Lateralengelaut Laterallaut SeitenlautJa-Nein-Rätsel

Antonyms

Vibrant

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 "Lateral"?

"Lateral" is spelled L-A-T-E-R-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is [latəˈʁaːl].

What does "Lateral" mean?

As a noun, "Lateral" means: Konsonant (Mitlaut), der durch den seitlich an der Zunge vorbeiströmenden Artikulationsstrom erzeugt wird

How do you pronounce "Lateral"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Lateral" is [latəˈʁaːl]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What language does "Lateral" come from?

"Lateral" 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 “Lateral”

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

The one correct German spelling is L-A-T-E-R-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as [latəˈʁaːl] (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.