rau

[ʁaʊ̯]

/[ʁaʊ̯]/ adj

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

The verdict

“rau” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #13,465 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#13,465
frequency rank, German
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - nicht glatt, mit unebener, unbearbeiteter Oberfläche, Beschaffenheit

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

rau vs re
33% similar
rau vs Rb
0% similar
rau vs Rn
0% similar

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

Key facts for rau
PropertyValue
Headwordrau
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ʁaʊ̯]
Letters3
Frequency rank#13,465
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rau” 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). rau 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 rau is 3 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ʁaʊ̯]. Corpus data places it at rank #13,465 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for rau, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "re", "Rb", "Rn", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is rau, spelled R-A-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    nicht glatt, mit unebener, unbearbeiteter Oberfläche, Beschaffenheit
  2. 2
    unwirtlich aufgrund der kargen Gegend und/oder des ungenehmen, kalten Klimas
  3. 3
    sich grob, unfreundlich verhaltend; ohne Benehmen
  4. 4
    heiser, kratzig wirkend
  5. 5
    in ungekochtem, unbearbeitetem Zustand; roh

Antonyms

ebenfeinglattangenehmlieblichwirtlichfairfreundschaftlichnett

This word in other languages

rough(English)áspero(Español)rugueux(Français)áspero(Português)

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 "rau"?
"rau" is spelled R-A-U. The IPA pronunciation is [ʁaʊ̯].
What does "rau" mean?
As an adjective, "rau" means: nicht glatt, mit unebener, unbearbeiteter Oberfläche, Beschaffenheit
What words are commonly confused with "rau"?
"rau" is commonly confused with "re", "Rb", "Rn". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rau"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rau" is [ʁaʊ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "rau" come from?
"rau" 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 “rau”

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

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