selbstgefällig

[ˈzɛlpstɡəˌfɛlɪç]

/[ˈzɛlpstɡəˌfɛlɪç]/ adj

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

The verdict

“selbstgefällig” is an uncommon German word, ranked #64,700 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#64,700
frequency rank, German
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - sich selber sehr wichtig nehmend, oft damit verbunden, die eigenen Vorzüge deutlich und auf überhebliche Art zu betonen und dabei Verdienste anderer zu ignorieren

Key facts for selbstgefällig
PropertyValue
Headwordselbstgefällig
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈzɛlpstɡəˌfɛlɪç]
Letters14
Frequency rank#64,700
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “selbstgefällig” 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). selbstgefällig 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 selbstgefällig is 14 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈzɛlpstɡəˌfɛlɪç]. Corpus data places it at rank #64,700 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "sich selber sehr wichtig nehmend, oft damit verbunden, die eigenen Vorzüge deutlich und auf überhebliche Art zu betonen und dabei Verdienste anderer zu ignorieren".

Zero misspellings are on record for selbstgefällig in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is selbstgefällig, spelled S-E-L-B-S-T-G-E-F-Ä-L-L-I-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    sich selber sehr wichtig nehmend, oft damit verbunden, die eigenen Vorzüge deutlich und auf überhebliche Art zu betonen und dabei Verdienste anderer zu ignorieren

Antonyms

bescheidenuneitel

This word in other languages

smug(English)complaciente(Español)présomptueux(Français)

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 "selbstgefällig"?
"selbstgefällig" is spelled S-E-L-B-S-T-G-E-F-Ä-L-L-I-G. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈzɛlpstɡəˌfɛlɪç].
What does "selbstgefällig" mean?
As an adjective, "selbstgefällig" means: sich selber sehr wichtig nehmend, oft damit verbunden, die eigenen Vorzüge deutlich und auf überhebliche Art zu betonen und dabei Verdienste anderer zu ignorieren
How do you pronounce "selbstgefällig"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "selbstgefällig" is [ˈzɛlpstɡəˌfɛlɪç]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "selbstgefällig" come from?
"selbstgefällig" 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 “selbstgefällig”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-E-L-B-S-T-G-E-F-Ä-L-L-I-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈzɛlpstɡəˌfɛlɪç] (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