nonchalant

[ˌnɔ̃ʃaˈlɑ̃ː]

/[ˌnɔ̃ʃaˈlɑ̃ː]/ adj

The verdict

“nonchalant” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - sich nicht an Formen haltend (was liebenswürdig ungezwungen, aber auch rücksichtslos wirken kann)

Key facts for nonchalant
PropertyValue
Headwordnonchalant
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˌnɔ̃ʃaˈlɑ̃ː]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nonchalant” sits in German frequency

nonchalant 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for nonchalant is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˌnɔ̃ʃaˈlɑ̃ː]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "sich nicht an Formen haltend (was liebenswürdig ungezwungen, aber auch rücksichtslos wirken kann)".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for nonchalant, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is nonchalant, spelled N-O-N-C-H-A-L-A-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    sich nicht an Formen haltend (was liebenswürdig ungezwungen, aber auch rücksichtslos wirken kann)

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 "nonchalant"?
"nonchalant" is spelled N-O-N-C-H-A-L-A-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌnɔ̃ʃaˈlɑ̃ː].
What does "nonchalant" mean?
As an adjective, "nonchalant" means: sich nicht an Formen haltend (was liebenswürdig ungezwungen, aber auch rücksichtslos wirken kann)
How do you pronounce "nonchalant"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nonchalant" is [ˌnɔ̃ʃaˈlɑ̃ː]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "nonchalant" come from?
"nonchalant" 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 “nonchalant”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is N-O-N-C-H-A-L-A-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˌnɔ̃ʃaˈlɑ̃ː] (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