schief liegen

[ˈʃiːf ˌliːɡn̩]

/[ˈʃiːf ˌliːɡn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“schief liegen” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - nicht gerade liegen

Key facts for schief liegen
PropertyValue
Headwordschief liegen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈʃiːf ˌliːɡn̩]
Letters13
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “schief liegen” sits in German frequency

schief liegen falls outside the top-100,000 ranked German words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for schief liegen is 13 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʃiːf ˌliːɡn̩]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for schief liegen, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is schief liegen, spelled S-C-H-I-E-F- -L-I-E-G-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    nicht gerade liegen
  2. 2
    unrecht haben, sich irren

Synonyms

falsch liegen

Antonyms

richtig liegengerade

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 "schief liegen"?
"schief liegen" is spelled S-C-H-I-E-F- -L-I-E-G-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃiːf ˌliːɡn̩].
What does "schief liegen" mean?
As a verb, "schief liegen" means: nicht gerade liegen
How do you pronounce "schief liegen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schief liegen" is [ˈʃiːf ˌliːɡn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "schief liegen" come from?
"schief liegen" 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 “schief liegen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-C-H-I-E-F- -L-I-E-G-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈʃiːf ˌliːɡn̩] (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list