Obligation

[obliɡaˈt͡si̯oːn]

/[obliɡaˈt͡si̯oːn]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - (finanzielle, vertragliche) Verpflichtung

Corpus desk

Index DE-obligation · Obligation · German

Obligation · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "O" 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 Obligation
PropertyValue
HeadwordObligation
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[obliɡaˈt͡si̯oːn]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Obligation“ im Deutschen

Obligationsitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

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

Rare enough to double-check

Obligation is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [obliɡaˈt͡si̯oːn]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for Obligation in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, 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 explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Obligation, spelled O-B-L-I-G-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    (finanzielle, vertragliche) Verpflichtung
  2. 2
    verzinsliches Wertpapier, meist mit festem Zinssatz

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. „Die meisten Obligationen entstehen aus einem Rechtsgeschäft und die mit Abstand bedeutendste Obligation ist der Vertrag.“
  2. „Will der Staat sein »gewöhnliches« Defizit finanzieren, verkauft er Obligationen mit einer Laufzeit von 2, 5, 10 oder 30 Jahren.“

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 "Obligation"?
"Obligation" is spelled O-B-L-I-G-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is [obliɡaˈt͡si̯oːn].
What does "Obligation" mean?
As a noun, "Obligation" means: (finanzielle, vertragliche) Verpflichtung
How do you pronounce "Obligation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Obligation" is [obliɡaˈt͡si̯oːn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Obligation" come from?
"Obligation" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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