Schmutzgeier

[ˈʃmʊt͡sˌɡaɪ̯ɐ]

/[ˈʃmʊt͡sˌɡaɪ̯ɐ]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Greifvogel aus der Familie der Habichtartigen

Corpus desk

Index DE-schmutzgeier · Schmutzgeier · German

Schmutzgeier · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-4 4 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 Schmutzgeier
PropertyValue
HeadwordSchmutzgeier
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈʃmʊt͡sˌɡaɪ̯ɐ]
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Schmutzgeier“ im Deutschen

Schmutzgeierschafft es nicht in die Top 100.000 des Deutschen: Zone für Fach-, Alt- oder Seltenwortschatz.

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

Rare enough to double-check

Schmutzgeier is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈʃmʊt͡sˌɡaɪ̯ɐ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Greifvogel aus der Familie der Habichtartigen".

Schmutzgeier doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Schmutzgeier, spelled S-C-H-M-U-T-Z-G-E-I-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Greifvogel aus der Familie der Habichtartigen

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. „Schmutzgeier benutzen Steine als Werkzeuge, um Straußeneier zu öffnen.“

Synonyms

Neophron percnopterus

This word in other languages

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 "Schmutzgeier"?
"Schmutzgeier" is spelled S-C-H-M-U-T-Z-G-E-I-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃmʊt͡sˌɡaɪ̯ɐ].
What does "Schmutzgeier" mean?
As a noun, "Schmutzgeier" means: Greifvogel aus der Familie der Habichtartigen
How do you pronounce "Schmutzgeier"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Schmutzgeier" is [ˈʃmʊt͡sˌɡaɪ̯ɐ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Schmutzgeier" come from?
"Schmutzgeier" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list