Nichtwissen

[ˈnɪçtˌvɪsn̩]

/[ˈnɪçtˌvɪsn̩]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Nichtwissen” is an uncommon German word, ranked #85,640 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#85,640
frequency rank, German
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - das Fehlen von Kenntnissen über etwas

Key facts for Nichtwissen
PropertyValue
HeadwordNichtwissen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈnɪçtˌvɪsn̩]
Letters11
Frequency rank#85,640
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Nichtwissen” 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). Nichtwissen lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for Nichtwissen is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈnɪçtˌvɪsn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #85,640 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "das Fehlen von Kenntnissen über etwas".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Nichtwissen, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is Nichtwissen, spelled N-I-C-H-T-W-I-S-S-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    das Fehlen von Kenntnissen über etwas

Synonyms

DummheitKenntnislosigkeitUnkenntnisUnwissenUnwissenheit

Antonyms

Wissen

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Nichtwissen"?
"Nichtwissen" is spelled N-I-C-H-T-W-I-S-S-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈnɪçtˌvɪsn̩].
What does "Nichtwissen" mean?
As a noun, "Nichtwissen" means: das Fehlen von Kenntnissen über etwas
How do you pronounce "Nichtwissen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Nichtwissen" is [ˈnɪçtˌvɪsn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Nichtwissen" come from?
"Nichtwissen" 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.

Using “Nichtwissen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is N-I-C-H-T-W-I-S-S-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈnɪçtˌvɪsn̩] (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list