schwafeln

[ˈʃvaːfl̩n]

/[ˈʃvaːfl̩n]/ verb

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

The verdict

“schwafeln” is an uncommon German word, ranked #93,563 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#93,563
frequency rank, German
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - wortreich, aber mit wenig Inhalt oder ohne Sachkenntnis etwas erzählen

Key facts for schwafeln
PropertyValue
Headwordschwafeln
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈʃvaːfl̩n]
Letters9
Frequency rank#93,563
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “schwafeln” 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). schwafeln lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for schwafeln is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʃvaːfl̩n]. Corpus data places it at rank #93,563 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "wortreich, aber mit wenig Inhalt oder ohne Sachkenntnis etwas erzählen".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for schwafeln, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, 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 pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is schwafeln, spelled S-C-H-W-A-F-E-L-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    wortreich, aber mit wenig Inhalt oder ohne Sachkenntnis etwas erzählen

This word in other languages

waffle(English)

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 "schwafeln"?
"schwafeln" is spelled S-C-H-W-A-F-E-L-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃvaːfl̩n].
What does "schwafeln" mean?
As a verb, "schwafeln" means: wortreich, aber mit wenig Inhalt oder ohne Sachkenntnis etwas erzählen
How do you pronounce "schwafeln"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schwafeln" is [ˈʃvaːfl̩n]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "schwafeln" come from?
"schwafeln" 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.

Using “schwafeln”

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

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