Merlan

[mɛʁˈlaːn]

/[mɛʁˈlaːn]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - ein bis 60 cm langer Schellfisch der nordeuropäischen und der Mittelmeerküsten, der als Speisefisch geschätzt und eine hohe wirtschaftliche Bedeutung erlangt hat

Corpus desk

Index DE-merlan · Merlan · German

Merlan · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "M" 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 Merlan
PropertyValue
HeadwordMerlan
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[mɛʁˈlaːn]
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Merlan“ im Deutschen

Merlanschafft 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

Merlan is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [mɛʁˈlaːn]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "ein bis 60 cm langer Schellfisch der nordeuropäischen und der Mittelmeerküsten, der als Speisefisch geschätzt und eine hohe wirtschaftliche Bedeutung erlangt hat".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Merlan, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is Merlan, spelled M-E-R-L-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    ein bis 60 cm langer Schellfisch der nordeuropäischen und der Mittelmeerküsten, der als Speisefisch geschätzt und eine hohe wirtschaftliche Bedeutung erlangt hat

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Der Merlan ist als Speisefisch frisch, gesalzen und getrocknet im Handel.

Synonyms

WeißlingWittlingMerlangius merlangus

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 "Merlan"?
"Merlan" is spelled M-E-R-L-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is [mɛʁˈlaːn].
What does "Merlan" mean?
As a noun, "Merlan" means: ein bis 60 cm langer Schellfisch der nordeuropäischen und der Mittelmeerküsten, der als Speisefisch geschätzt und eine hohe wirtschaftliche Bedeutung erlangt hat
How do you pronounce "Merlan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Merlan" is [mɛʁˈlaːn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Merlan" come from?
"Merlan" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list