Rezitativ

[ʁet͡sitaˈtiːf]

/[ʁet͡sitaˈtiːf]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Rezitativ” is uncommon German (frequency #86,982 among 42,116 “R” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#86,982
frequency rank, German
42,116
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - eine Art des Singens (besonders im Musiktheater), die ausschließlich von der gesprochenen Prosa ausgeht

Key facts for Rezitativ
PropertyValue
HeadwordRezitativ
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ʁet͡sitaˈtiːf]
Letters9
Frequency rank#86,982
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Rezitativ” 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). Rezitativ 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

Rezitativ is uncommon German at frequency #86,982 among 42,116 “R” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ʁet͡sitaˈtiːf]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "eine Art des Singens (besonders im Musiktheater), die ausschließlich von der gesprochenen Prosa ausgeht".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Rezitativ, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is Rezitativ, spelled R-E-Z-I-T-A-T-I-V.

Definition

  1. 1
    eine Art des Singens (besonders im Musiktheater), die ausschließlich von der gesprochenen Prosa ausgeht

Synonyms

Sprechgesang

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 "Rezitativ"?
"Rezitativ" is spelled R-E-Z-I-T-A-T-I-V. The IPA pronunciation is [ʁet͡sitaˈtiːf].
What does "Rezitativ" mean?
As a noun, "Rezitativ" means: eine Art des Singens (besonders im Musiktheater), die ausschließlich von der gesprochenen Prosa ausgeht
How do you pronounce "Rezitativ"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Rezitativ" is [ʁet͡sitaˈtiːf]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Rezitativ" come from?
"Rezitativ" 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 “Rezitativ”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is R-E-Z-I-T-A-T-I-V - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ʁet͡sitaˈtiːf] (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