nuklear

[nukleˈaːɐ̯]

/[nukleˈaːɐ̯]/ adj

The verdict

“nuklear” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #49,125 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#49,125
frequency rank, German
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - auf Kernreaktionen beruhend

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

nuklear vs nukleare
88% similar
nuklear vs nuklearen
78% similar
nuklear vs nuclear
86% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for nuklear
PropertyValue
Headwordnuklear
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[nukleˈaːɐ̯]
Letters7
Frequency rank#49,125
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nuklear” 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). nuklear 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 nuklear is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [nukleˈaːɐ̯]. Corpus data places it at rank #49,125 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "auf Kernreaktionen beruhend".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for nuklear, with forms such as "nkulear", "nnuklear", and "nukelar". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "nukleare", "nuklearen", "nuclear", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is nuklear, spelled N-U-K-L-E-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    auf Kernreaktionen beruhend

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: nkulear,nnuklear,nukelar,nukklear,nuklaer,nuklearr,nuklera,nukllear,nulkear,unklear

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nuklear - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

nkulear2nnuklear1nukelar2nukklear1nuklaer2nuklearr1nuklera2nukllear1
Edit distance from "nuklear"

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 "nuklear"?
"nuklear" is spelled N-U-K-L-E-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [nukleˈaːɐ̯].
What does "nuklear" mean?
As an adjective, "nuklear" means: auf Kernreaktionen beruhend
What words are commonly confused with "nuklear"?
"nuklear" is commonly confused with "nukleare", "nuklearen", "nuclear". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nuklear"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nuklear" is [nukleˈaːɐ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "nuklear" come from?
"nuklear" 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 “nuklear”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is N-U-K-L-E-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [nukleˈaːɐ̯] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “nukleare” - see the side-by-side comparison. nuklear vs nukleare
  • 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