Metathese

[metaˈteːzə]

/[metaˈteːzə]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Umstellung/Vertauschung von Lauten im Wort

Corpus desk

Index DE-metathese · Metathese · German

Metathese · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 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 Metathese
PropertyValue
HeadwordMetathese
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[metaˈteːzə]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Metathese“ im Deutschen

Metatheseliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

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

Rare enough to double-check

Metathese is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [metaˈteːzə]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Umstellung/Vertauschung von Lauten im Wort".

No misspelling variants are generated for Metathese in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

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 Metathese, spelled M-E-T-A-T-H-E-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Umstellung/Vertauschung von Lauten im Wort

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. „Bei einer Metathese werden zwei Laute miteinander vertauscht, der eine springt um den anderen herum.“

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 "Metathese"?
"Metathese" is spelled M-E-T-A-T-H-E-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is [metaˈteːzə].
What does "Metathese" mean?
As a noun, "Metathese" means: Umstellung/Vertauschung von Lauten im Wort
How do you pronounce "Metathese"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Metathese" is [metaˈteːzə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Metathese" come from?
"Metathese" 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