serpent

[sɛʁ.pɑ̃]

/[sɛʁ.pɑ̃]/ noun

The verdict

“serpent” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Schlange

Key facts for serpent
PropertyValue
Headwordserpent
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[sɛʁ.pɑ̃]
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “serpent” sits in German frequency

serpent 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for serpent is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [sɛʁ.pɑ̃]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Schlange".

Zero misspellings are on record for serpent in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is serpent, spelled S-E-R-P-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Schlange

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 "serpent"?
"serpent" is spelled S-E-R-P-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is [sɛʁ.pɑ̃].
What does "serpent" mean?
As a noun, "serpent" means: Schlange
How do you pronounce "serpent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "serpent" is [sɛʁ.pɑ̃]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "serpent" come from?
"serpent" 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 “serpent”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-E-R-P-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [sɛʁ.pɑ̃] (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