pedantisch

[ˌpeˈdantɪʃ]

/[ˌpeˈdantɪʃ]/ adj

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

The verdict

“pedantisch” is an uncommon German word, ranked #72,800 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#72,800
frequency rank, German
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas übertrieben genau nehmend; kleinlich

Key facts for pedantisch
PropertyValue
Headwordpedantisch
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˌpeˈdantɪʃ]
Letters10
Frequency rank#72,800
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pedantisch” 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). pedantisch 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 pedantisch is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˌpeˈdantɪʃ]. Corpus data places it at rank #72,800 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "etwas übertrieben genau nehmend; kleinlich".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for pedantisch, 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.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology 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 pedantisch, spelled P-E-D-A-N-T-I-S-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas übertrieben genau nehmend; kleinlich

Synonyms

beckmesserischpenibelpingeligpedant

This word in other languages

pedante(Español)pédant(Français)

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 "pedantisch"?
"pedantisch" is spelled P-E-D-A-N-T-I-S-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌpeˈdantɪʃ].
What does "pedantisch" mean?
As an adjective, "pedantisch" means: etwas übertrieben genau nehmend; kleinlich
How do you pronounce "pedantisch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pedantisch" is [ˌpeˈdantɪʃ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pedantisch" come from?
"pedantisch" 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 “pedantisch”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is P-E-D-A-N-T-I-S-C-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˌpeˈdantɪʃ] (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