Scheltwort

[ˈʃɛltˌvɔʁt]

/[ˈʃɛltˌvɔʁt]/ noun

The verdict

“Scheltwort” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Wort, mit dem die angesprochene Sache oder Person in milder Form kritisiert wird

Corpus desk

Index DE-scheltwort · Scheltwort · German

Scheltwort · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for Scheltwort
PropertyValue
HeadwordScheltwort
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈʃɛltˌvɔʁt]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Scheltwort“ im Deutschen

Scheltwortsitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Scheltwort is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈʃɛltˌvɔʁt]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Scheltwort has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is Scheltwort, spelled S-C-H-E-L-T-W-O-R-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Wort, mit dem die angesprochene Sache oder Person in milder Form kritisiert wird
  2. 2
    Ausspruch milder Kritik, Scheltrede

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. „Und doch ist das G e f l ü g e l t e W o r t von dem Schlagwort, worunter ich außer dem synonymen Stichwort diejenigen Schelt-, Spott-, Hohn-, Witz- und Kraftworte auch inbegreife,…offenbar zu unterscheiden.“
  2. Ladendorf (1906) nennt unter anderen „Dividendenschlucker“ und „Kastengeist“ als Scheltworte:

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Scheltwort"?
"Scheltwort" is spelled S-C-H-E-L-T-W-O-R-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃɛltˌvɔʁt].
What does "Scheltwort" mean?
As a noun, "Scheltwort" means: Wort, mit dem die angesprochene Sache oder Person in milder Form kritisiert wird
How do you pronounce "Scheltwort"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Scheltwort" is [ˈʃɛltˌvɔʁt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Scheltwort" come from?
"Scheltwort" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list