poltern

[ˈpɔltɐn]

/[ˈpɔltɐn]/ verb

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

The verdict

“poltern” is uncommon German (frequency #57,310 among 49,534 “P” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,310
frequency rank, German
49,534
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - durch Rumpeln oder durch Stoßen gegen etwas zu lärmen (lauter als klappern, leiser als donnern)

Key facts for poltern
PropertyValue
Headwordpoltern
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈpɔltɐn]
Letters7
Frequency rank#57,310
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “poltern” 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). poltern lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

poltern is uncommon German at frequency #57,310 among 49,534 “P” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed [ˈpɔltɐn]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for poltern, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is poltern, spelled P-O-L-T-E-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    durch Rumpeln oder durch Stoßen gegen etwas zu lärmen (lauter als klappern, leiser als donnern)
  2. 2
    grob schimpfen
  3. 3
    Polterabend feiern

Antonyms

schleichenloben

This word in other languages

jangle(English)bruiter(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 "poltern"?
"poltern" is spelled P-O-L-T-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈpɔltɐn].
What does "poltern" mean?
As a verb, "poltern" means: durch Rumpeln oder durch Stoßen gegen etwas zu lärmen (lauter als klappern, leiser als donnern)
How do you pronounce "poltern"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "poltern" is [ˈpɔltɐn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "poltern" come from?
"poltern" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “poltern”

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

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

Other uncommon German words near this rank

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