Qualm

[kvalm]

/[kvalm]/ noun

The verdict

“Qualm” has 7 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #40,776. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,776
frequency rank, German
216
“Q” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - (als unangenehm empfundener) von einem Feuer aufsteigender dichter, quellender Rauch

Corpus desk

Index DE-qualm · Qualm · German

Qualm · rank #40,776 · 7 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,776
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 216
  • PHOTO-FINISH quantitativen

Nearest frequency peer: quantitativen (+1 rank slots)

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “Qualm”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “Qualm” sits against the nearest ranked German headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Qualm vs quasi
40% similar
Qualm vs Quark
60% similar
Qualm vs quält
40% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Qualm
PropertyValue
HeadwordQualm
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[kvalm]
Letters5
Frequency rank#40,776
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Qualm” 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). Qualm lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around Qualm (IPA [kvalm]), anoun. Corpus frequency is #40,776 among 216 “Q” headwords. Dominant gloss: "(als unangenehm empfundener) von einem Feuer aufsteigender dichter, quellender Rauch".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Qualm, with forms such as "qaulm", "qqualm", and "quallm". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "quasi", "Quark", "quält", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is Qualm, spelled Q-U-A-L-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    (als unangenehm empfundener) von einem Feuer aufsteigender dichter, quellender Rauch

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Qualm appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Vom Qualm des Feuers waren wir halb erstickt.
  2. „Fern erhob sich die Silhouette der Brikettfabrik mit ihren Schloten, und die Schornsteine spien Qualm aus, schwarzen, undurchdringlichen Rauch, der sich wie ein Vorhang vor den Horizont legte. In dieser Wand aus Wolken und Qualm und Morgendunst stand blutrot die Sonnenscheibe.“

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • qaulm
  • qqualm
  • quallm
  • qualmm
  • quaml
  • qulam
  • uqalm

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Qualm - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

qaulm2qqualm1quallm1qualmm1quaml2qulam2uqalm2
Edit distance from "Qualm"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Qualm"?
"Qualm" is spelled Q-U-A-L-M. The IPA pronunciation is [kvalm].
What does "Qualm" mean?
As a noun, "Qualm" means: (als unangenehm empfundener) von einem Feuer aufsteigender dichter, quellender Rauch
What words are commonly confused with "Qualm"?
"Qualm" is commonly confused with "quasi", "Quark", "quält". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Qualm"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Qualm" is [kvalm]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Qualm" come from?
"Qualm" 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.

Similar German words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "Qualm", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked German headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

What to do next

You've looked up "Qualm". Here's where to go from here.

  • "Qualm" maps to 9 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "quasi". View pair
  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #40,776 among German headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more German words in the "Q" letter cohort. Q–Z browse

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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