Scylla

[…]

/[…]/ noun

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - hoher Felsen auf der italienischen Seite der sizilianischen Meerenge, der Straße von Messina, dem Strudel Charybdis gegenüber

Key facts for Scylla
PropertyValue
HeadwordScylla
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[…]
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Scylla” sits in German frequency

Scylla 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.

Rare enough to double-check

Scylla is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed […]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Scylla has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable 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 pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is Scylla, spelled S-C-Y-L-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    hoher Felsen auf der italienischen Seite der sizilianischen Meerenge, der Straße von Messina, dem Strudel Charybdis gegenüber
  2. 2
    eine Nymphe, die Tochter des Phorkus, die von Kirke aus Eifersucht in ein Ungeheuer mit Hunden um den Unterleib und mit sechs Köpfen und zwölf Füßen verwandelte
  3. 3
    die Tochter des Nisus, des Königs von Megara, die aus Liebe zu Minos ihrem Vater das Purpurhaar, worauf sein gesamtes Wohl beruhte, raubte. Daraufhin wurde sie von Minos verschmäht. Sie stürzte sich ins Meer und wurde in den Vogel Ciris verwandelt.

Antonyms

Charybdis

This word in other languages

Scylla(English)Scylla(Français)

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 "Scylla"?
"Scylla" is spelled S-C-Y-L-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is […].
What does "Scylla" mean?
As a noun, "Scylla" means: hoher Felsen auf der italienischen Seite der sizilianischen Meerenge, der Straße von Messina, dem Strudel Charybdis gegenüber
How do you pronounce "Scylla"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Scylla" is […]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Scylla" come from?
"Scylla" 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 “Scylla”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-C-Y-L-L-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as […] (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