Orang-Utan

[ˈoːʁaŋˈʔuːtan]

/[ˈoːʁaŋˈʔuːtan]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Orang-Utan” 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 May 6, 2026) - Primatengattung aus der Familie der Menschenaffen

Key facts for Orang-Utan
PropertyValue
HeadwordOrang-Utan
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈoːʁaŋˈʔuːtan]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Orang-Utan” sits in German frequency

Orang-Utan 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.

Rare enough to double-check

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

No misspelling variants are generated for Orang-Utan in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

No documented word history exists for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Orang-Utan, spelled O-R-A-N-G---U-T-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Primatengattung aus der Familie der Menschenaffen
  2. 2
    kurz für Orang-Utan-Eröffnung

Synonyms

OrangOrang-Utan-EröffnungSokolski-Eröffnung

This word in other languages

orangutan(English)orangután(Español)orang-outan(Français)

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 "Orang-Utan"?
"Orang-Utan" is spelled O-R-A-N-G---U-T-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈoːʁaŋˈʔuːtan].
What does "Orang-Utan" mean?
As a noun, "Orang-Utan" means: Primatengattung aus der Familie der Menschenaffen
How do you pronounce "Orang-Utan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Orang-Utan" is [ˈoːʁaŋˈʔuːtan]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Orang-Utan" come from?
"Orang-Utan" 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 “Orang-Utan”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is O-R-A-N-G---U-T-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈoːʁaŋˈʔuːtan] (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