limbo

[ˈlɪmbəʊ]

/[ˈlɪmbəʊ]/ noun

The verdict

“limbo” is uncommon German (frequency #57,209 among 30,953 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,209
frequency rank, German
30,953
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - spekulativer Aufenthaltsort der Seelen, die vom Himmel ausgeschlossen, aber nicht zu weiterer Bestrafung verdammt sind; Vorhölle, Limbus

Corpus desk

Index DE-limbo · limbo · German

limbo · rank #57,209 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #57,209
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 30,953
  • PHOTO-FINISH Liese

Nearest frequency peer: Liese (-1 rank slots)

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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “limbo”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “limbo” sits against the nearest ranked German headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for limbo
PropertyValue
Headwordlimbo
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈlɪmbəʊ]
Letters5
Frequency rank#57,209
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “limbo” 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). limbo 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

limbo is uncommon German at frequency #57,209 among 30,953 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈlɪmbəʊ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

limbo has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, 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 read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is limbo, spelled L-I-M-B-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    spekulativer Aufenthaltsort der Seelen, die vom Himmel ausgeschlossen, aber nicht zu weiterer Bestrafung verdammt sind; Vorhölle, Limbus
  2. 2
    ein Ort oder Zustand des Vergessens, der Nichtbeachtung oder der andauernden Unsicherheit; Schwebezustand, Abstellgleis, Vergessenheit
  3. 3
    ein Tanz aus der Karibik, aufgeführt unterhalb einer waagrechten Stange, die immer niedriger gelegt wird

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "limbo"?
"limbo" is spelled L-I-M-B-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈlɪmbəʊ].
What does "limbo" mean?
As a noun, "limbo" means: spekulativer Aufenthaltsort der Seelen, die vom Himmel ausgeschlossen, aber nicht zu weiterer Bestrafung verdammt sind; Vorhölle, Limbus
How do you pronounce "limbo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "limbo" is [ˈlɪmbəʊ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "limbo" come from?
"limbo" 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.

Similar German words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "limbo", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked German headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency 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