Mädchen für alles

[ˈmɛːtçən fyːɐ̯ ˈaləs]

/[ˈmɛːtçən fyːɐ̯ ˈaləs]/ phrase

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
17
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Person, die alle anfallenden, meist kleineren Tätigkeiten und Aufgaben übernehmen muss

Key facts for Mädchen für alles
PropertyValue
HeadwordMädchen für alles
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ˈmɛːtçən fyːɐ̯ ˈaləs]
Letters17
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Mädchen für alles” sits in German frequency

Mädchen für alles 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

Mädchen für alles is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [ˈmɛːtçən fyːɐ̯ ˈaləs]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Person, die alle anfallenden, meist kleineren Tätigkeiten und Aufgaben übernehmen muss".

Mädchen für alles has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Mädchen für alles, spelled M-Ä-D-C-H-E-N- -F-Ü-R- -A-L-L-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Person, die alle anfallenden, meist kleineren Tätigkeiten und Aufgaben übernehmen muss

This word in other languages

dogsbody(English)bonne à tout faire(Français)

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 "Mädchen für alles"?
"Mädchen für alles" is spelled M-Ä-D-C-H-E-N- -F-Ü-R- -A-L-L-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈmɛːtçən fyːɐ̯ ˈaləs].
What does "Mädchen für alles" mean?
As a phrase, "Mädchen für alles" means: Person, die alle anfallenden, meist kleineren Tätigkeiten und Aufgaben übernehmen muss
How do you pronounce "Mädchen für alles"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Mädchen für alles" is [ˈmɛːtçən fyːɐ̯ ˈaləs]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Mädchen für alles" come from?
"Mädchen für alles" 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.

Using “Mädchen für alles”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is M-Ä-D-C-H-E-N- -F-Ü-R- -A-L-L-E-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈmɛːtçən fyːɐ̯ ˈaləs] (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