Selbstzensur

[ˈzɛlpstt͡sɛnˌzuːɐ̯]

/[ˈzɛlpstt͡sɛnˌzuːɐ̯]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Selbstzensur” is uncommon German (frequency #76,160 among 107,600 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#76,160
frequency rank, German
107,600
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Maßnahme einer Person oder Institution, die die eigenen Handlungen oder Texte von allem freihält/freimacht, das Anstoß erregen oder Sanktionen hervorrufen kann

Key facts for Selbstzensur
PropertyValue
HeadwordSelbstzensur
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈzɛlpstt͡sɛnˌzuːɐ̯]
Letters12
Frequency rank#76,160
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Selbstzensur” 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). Selbstzensur 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

Selbstzensur is uncommon German at frequency #76,160 among 107,600 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈzɛlpstt͡sɛnˌzuːɐ̯]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Maßnahme einer Person oder Institution, die die eigenen Handlungen oder Texte von allem freihält/freimacht, das Anstoß erregen oder Sanktionen hervorrufen kann".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for Selbstzensur, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. 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.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Selbstzensur, spelled S-E-L-B-S-T-Z-E-N-S-U-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Maßnahme einer Person oder Institution, die die eigenen Handlungen oder Texte von allem freihält/freimacht, das Anstoß erregen oder Sanktionen hervorrufen kann

This word in other languages

self-censorship(English)autocensura(Español)autocensure(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 "Selbstzensur"?
"Selbstzensur" is spelled S-E-L-B-S-T-Z-E-N-S-U-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈzɛlpstt͡sɛnˌzuːɐ̯].
What does "Selbstzensur" mean?
As a noun, "Selbstzensur" means: Maßnahme einer Person oder Institution, die die eigenen Handlungen oder Texte von allem freihält/freimacht, das Anstoß erregen oder Sanktionen hervorrufen kann
How do you pronounce "Selbstzensur"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Selbstzensur" is [ˈzɛlpstt͡sɛnˌzuːɐ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Selbstzensur" come from?
"Selbstzensur" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “Selbstzensur”

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

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