Petitio Principii

[peˌtiːt͡si̯o pʁɪnˈt͡siːpii]

/[peˌtiːt͡si̯o pʁɪnˈt͡siːpii]/ noun

The verdict

“Petitio Principii” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
17
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - die Verwendung eines unbewiesenen oder noch zu beweisenden Satzes als Prämisse für einen anderen Satz

Key facts for Petitio Principii
PropertyValue
HeadwordPetitio Principii
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[peˌtiːt͡si̯o pʁɪnˈt͡siːpii]
Letters17
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Petitio Principii” sits in German frequency

Petitio Principii 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 Petitio Principii is 17 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [peˌtiːt͡si̯o pʁɪnˈt͡siːpii]. 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: "die Verwendung eines unbewiesenen oder noch zu beweisenden Satzes als Prämisse für einen anderen Satz".

No misspelling variants are generated for Petitio Principii in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Petitio Principii, spelled P-E-T-I-T-I-O- -P-R-I-N-C-I-P-I-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    die Verwendung eines unbewiesenen oder noch zu beweisenden Satzes als Prämisse für einen anderen Satz

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 "Petitio Principii"?
"Petitio Principii" is spelled P-E-T-I-T-I-O- -P-R-I-N-C-I-P-I-I. The IPA pronunciation is [peˌtiːt͡si̯o pʁɪnˈt͡siːpii].
What does "Petitio Principii" mean?
As a noun, "Petitio Principii" means: die Verwendung eines unbewiesenen oder noch zu beweisenden Satzes als Prämisse für einen anderen Satz
How do you pronounce "Petitio Principii"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Petitio Principii" is [peˌtiːt͡si̯o pʁɪnˈt͡siːpii]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Petitio Principii" come from?
"Petitio Principii" 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 “Petitio Principii”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is P-E-T-I-T-I-O- -P-R-I-N-C-I-P-I-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [peˌtiːt͡si̯o pʁɪnˈt͡siːpii] (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