Prellbock

[ˈpʁɛlbɔk]

/[ˈpʁɛlbɔk]/ noun

The verdict

“Prellbock” 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
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Vorrichtung am Ende eines Bahngleises, die mit starken Puffern versehen ist und verhindern soll, dass ein Gleisfahrzeug das Ende des Gleises überfährt

Key facts for Prellbock
PropertyValue
HeadwordPrellbock
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈpʁɛlbɔk]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Prellbock” sits in German frequency

Prellbock 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 Prellbock is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈpʁɛlbɔk]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Prellbock, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Prellbock, spelled P-R-E-L-L-B-O-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Vorrichtung am Ende eines Bahngleises, die mit starken Puffern versehen ist und verhindern soll, dass ein Gleisfahrzeug das Ende des Gleises überfährt
  2. 2
    jemand, der bei Konflikten (anderer) die Verärgerung abfedern muss oder der die Konsequenzen fremden Handelns zu tragen hat
  3. 3
    mit dem Ball zu überspielendes Hindernis in der Mitte des Spielfeldes, das zum Beispiel von einem Schwebebalken oder einem gespannten Gummiband gebildet wird

Synonyms

Pufferwehr

This word in other languages

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 "Prellbock"?
"Prellbock" is spelled P-R-E-L-L-B-O-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈpʁɛlbɔk].
What does "Prellbock" mean?
As a noun, "Prellbock" means: Vorrichtung am Ende eines Bahngleises, die mit starken Puffern versehen ist und verhindern soll, dass ein Gleisfahrzeug das Ende des Gleises überfährt
How do you pronounce "Prellbock"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Prellbock" is [ˈpʁɛlbɔk]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Prellbock" come from?
"Prellbock" 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 “Prellbock”

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

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