Lumpenkerl

[ˈlʊmpn̩ˌkɛʁl]

/[ˈlʊmpn̩ˌkɛʁl]/ noun

The verdict

“Lumpenkerl” 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) - gemeiner Mensch

Corpus desk

Index DE-lumpenkerl · Lumpenkerl · German

Lumpenkerl · 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 "L" 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 Lumpenkerl
PropertyValue
HeadwordLumpenkerl
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈlʊmpn̩ˌkɛʁl]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Lumpenkerl“ im Deutschen

Lumpenkerlschafft es nicht in die Top 100.000 des Deutschen: Zone für Fach-, Alt- oder Seltenwortschatz.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Lumpenkerl is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈlʊmpn̩ˌkɛʁl]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "gemeiner Mensch".

Lumpenkerl doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is Lumpenkerl, spelled L-U-M-P-E-N-K-E-R-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    gemeiner Mensch

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. „Ich machte ihm Vorwürfe und schalt ihn einen nichtswissenden Schandbuben; als er mir zurückgab, ich sei ein Lumpenkerl, konnte ich mich nicht länger beherrschen und verabreichte ihn eine Ohrfeige, die er durch einen Schlag mit seinem Stock beantwortete.“

Synonyms

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 "Lumpenkerl"?
"Lumpenkerl" is spelled L-U-M-P-E-N-K-E-R-L. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈlʊmpn̩ˌkɛʁl].
What does "Lumpenkerl" mean?
As a noun, "Lumpenkerl" means: gemeiner Mensch
How do you pronounce "Lumpenkerl"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Lumpenkerl" is [ˈlʊmpn̩ˌkɛʁl]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Lumpenkerl" come from?
"Lumpenkerl" 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