Rathaus

[ˈʁaːtˌhaʊ̯s]

/[ˈʁaːtˌhaʊ̯s]/ noun

The verdict

“Rathaus” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #3,615 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,615
frequency rank, German
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (historisches) Amtsgebäude, häufig repräsentativer Verwaltungssitz und/oder das Hauptgebäude einer Gemeindeverwaltung oder einer Stadtverwaltung

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Rathaus vs Rathauses
78% similar

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

Key facts for Rathaus
PropertyValue
HeadwordRathaus
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈʁaːtˌhaʊ̯s]
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,615
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Rathaus” 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). Rathaus 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 Rathaus is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʁaːtˌhaʊ̯s]. Corpus data places it at rank #3,615 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for Rathaus, with forms such as "arthaus", "rahtaus", and "ratahus". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Rathauses", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Rathaus, spelled R-A-T-H-A-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    (historisches) Amtsgebäude, häufig repräsentativer Verwaltungssitz und/oder das Hauptgebäude einer Gemeindeverwaltung oder einer Stadtverwaltung
  2. 2
    Stadtverwaltung, eine Gemeindeverwaltung als Organisation

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: arthaus,rahtaus,ratahus,rathasu,rathauss,rathhaus,rathuas,ratthaus,rrathaus,rtahaus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Rathaus - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

arthaus2rahtaus2ratahus2rathasu2rathauss1rathhaus1rathuas2ratthaus1
Edit distance from "Rathaus"

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 "Rathaus"?
"Rathaus" is spelled R-A-T-H-A-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʁaːtˌhaʊ̯s].
What does "Rathaus" mean?
As a noun, "Rathaus" means: (historisches) Amtsgebäude, häufig repräsentativer Verwaltungssitz und/oder das Hauptgebäude einer Gemeindeverwaltung oder einer Stadtverwaltung
What words are commonly confused with "Rathaus"?
"Rathaus" is commonly confused with "Rathauses". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Rathaus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Rathaus" is [ˈʁaːtˌhaʊ̯s]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Rathaus" come from?
"Rathaus" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “Rathaus”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is R-A-T-H-A-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈʁaːtˌhaʊ̯s] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Rathauses” - see the side-by-side comparison. Rathaus vs Rathauses
  • 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