Selbsterfahrung

[ˈzɛlpstʔɛɐ̯ˌfaːʁʊŋ]

/[ˈzɛlpstʔɛɐ̯ˌfaːʁʊŋ]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Selbsterfahrung” is uncommon German (frequency #76,158 among 107,600 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#76,158
frequency rank, German
107,600
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Erfahrung, die man mit sich selbst macht, also damit, wie man unter bestimmten Bedingungen reagiert, und Nachdenken/Sprechen darüber, welche Motive dabei wirksam werden

Key facts for Selbsterfahrung
PropertyValue
HeadwordSelbsterfahrung
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈzɛlpstʔɛɐ̯ˌfaːʁʊŋ]
Letters15
Frequency rank#76,158
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Selbsterfahrung” 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). Selbsterfahrung lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

Selbsterfahrung is uncommon German at frequency #76,158 among 107,600 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈzɛlpstʔɛɐ̯ˌfaːʁʊŋ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Erfahrung, die man mit sich selbst macht, also damit, wie man unter bestimmten Bedingungen reagiert, und Nachdenken/Sprechen darüber, welche Motive dabei wirksam werden".

No misspelling variants are generated for Selbsterfahrung in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Selbsterfahrung, spelled S-E-L-B-S-T-E-R-F-A-H-R-U-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Erfahrung, die man mit sich selbst macht, also damit, wie man unter bestimmten Bedingungen reagiert, und Nachdenken/Sprechen darüber, welche Motive dabei wirksam werden

This word in other languages

self-awareness(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 "Selbsterfahrung"?
"Selbsterfahrung" is spelled S-E-L-B-S-T-E-R-F-A-H-R-U-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈzɛlpstʔɛɐ̯ˌfaːʁʊŋ].
What does "Selbsterfahrung" mean?
As a noun, "Selbsterfahrung" means: Erfahrung, die man mit sich selbst macht, also damit, wie man unter bestimmten Bedingungen reagiert, und Nachdenken/Sprechen darüber, welche Motive dabei wirksam werden
How do you pronounce "Selbsterfahrung"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Selbsterfahrung" is [ˈzɛlpstʔɛɐ̯ˌfaːʁʊŋ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Selbsterfahrung" come from?
"Selbsterfahrung" 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 “Selbsterfahrung”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-E-L-B-S-T-E-R-F-A-H-R-U-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈzɛlpstʔɛɐ̯ˌfaːʁʊŋ] (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

Other uncommon German words near this rank

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