rückwärts
[ˈʁʏkˌvɛʁt͡s]
The verdict
“rückwärts” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #7,810 in German word frequency and used as an adverb.
- #7,810
- frequency rank, German
- 9
- letters
- 15
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - mit dem Rücken zuerst; nach hinten hin
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | rückwärts |
| Language | German |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | [ˈʁʏkˌvɛʁt͡s] |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #7,810 |
| Misspellings tracked | 15 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “rückwärts” sits in German frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The German entry for rückwärts is 9 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʁʏkˌvɛʁt͡s]. Corpus data places it at rank #7,810 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for rückwärts, with forms such as "rcükwärts", "rrückwärts", and "rücckwärts". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is rückwärts, spelled R-Ü-C-K-W-Ä-R-T-S.
Definition
- 1mit dem Rücken zuerst; nach hinten hin
- 2vom Ende zum Anfang; in entgegengesetzter Richtung
- 3in die zurückliegende Zeit blickend
- 4hinten
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: rcükwärts,rrückwärts,rücckwärts,rückkwärts,rückwräts,rückwwärts,rückwärrts,rückwärst,rückwärtss,rückwärtts,rückwätrs,rückäwrts,rücwkärts,rükcwärts,ürckwärts
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rückwärts - 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.
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 "rückwärts"?
What does "rückwärts" mean?
What are common misspellings of "rückwärts"?
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What language does "rückwärts" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “rückwärts”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct German spelling is R-Ü-C-K-W-Ä-R-T-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [ˈʁʏkˌvɛʁt͡s] (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.