obliging

[…]

/[…]/ adj

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

The verdict

“obliging” 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
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - verbindlich, gefällig, zuvorkommend, entgegenkommend

Key facts for obliging
PropertyValue
Headwordobliging
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[…]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “obliging” sits in German frequency

obliging 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 obliging is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as […]. 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: "verbindlich, gefällig, zuvorkommend, entgegenkommend".

No misspelling variants are generated for obliging in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is obliging, spelled O-B-L-I-G-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    verbindlich, gefällig, zuvorkommend, entgegenkommend

Synonyms

accommodatingcivilcomplaisantconsideratekindfriendlypolite

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 "obliging"?
"obliging" is spelled O-B-L-I-G-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is […].
What does "obliging" mean?
As an adjective, "obliging" means: verbindlich, gefällig, zuvorkommend, entgegenkommend
How do you pronounce "obliging"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obliging" is […]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "obliging" come from?
"obliging" 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.

Using “obliging”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is O-B-L-I-G-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as […] (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