Söldner

[ˈzœldnɐ]

/[ˈzœldnɐ]/ noun

The verdict

“Söldner” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #17,147 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,147
frequency rank, German
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - gegen Bezahlung angeworbener, zeitlich (und vertraglich) befristet dienender Angehöriger einer aus freiwilligen, zumeist fremdländischen Soldaten bestehenden Truppe

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Söldner vs sonder
43% similar
Söldner vs solider
43% similar
Söldner vs Solinger
63% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Söldner
PropertyValue
HeadwordSöldner
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈzœldnɐ]
Letters7
Frequency rank#17,147
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Söldner” 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). Söldner 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 Söldner is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈzœldnɐ]. Corpus data places it at rank #17,147 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Söldner, with forms such as "slödner", "ssöldner", and "södlner". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "sonder", "solider", "Solinger", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Söldner, spelled S-Ö-L-D-N-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    gegen Bezahlung angeworbener, zeitlich (und vertraglich) befristet dienender Angehöriger einer aus freiwilligen, zumeist fremdländischen Soldaten bestehenden Truppe
  2. 2
    in Bayern und Österreich Besitzer einer Sölde, eines kleinen Bauerngutes

Synonyms

LegionärKöthner

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: slödner,ssöldner,södlner,sölddner,söldenr,söldnerr,söldnner,söldnre,sölldner,sölnder,ösldner

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Söldner - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

slödner2ssöldner1södlner2sölddner1söldenr2söldnerr1söldnner1söldnre2
Edit distance from "Söldner"

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 "Söldner"?
"Söldner" is spelled S-Ö-L-D-N-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈzœldnɐ].
What does "Söldner" mean?
As a noun, "Söldner" means: gegen Bezahlung angeworbener, zeitlich (und vertraglich) befristet dienender Angehöriger einer aus freiwilligen, zumeist fremdländischen Soldaten bestehenden Truppe
What words are commonly confused with "Söldner"?
"Söldner" is commonly confused with "sonder", "solider", "Solinger". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Söldner"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Söldner" is [ˈzœldnɐ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Söldner" come from?
"Söldner" 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 “Söldner”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-Ö-L-D-N-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈzœldnɐ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “sonder” - see the side-by-side comparison. Söldner vs sonder
  • 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