specify

[ˈspesɪfaɪ]

/[ˈspesɪfaɪ]/ verb

The verdict

“specify” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - etwas (genau / ausdrücklich) angeben, präzisieren; spezifizieren

Corpus desk

Index DE-specify · specify · German

specify · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for specify
PropertyValue
Headwordspecify
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈspesɪfaɪ]
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „specify“ im Deutschen

specifysitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

specify is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [ˈspesɪfaɪ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "etwas (genau / ausdrücklich) angeben, präzisieren; spezifizieren".

specify has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

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 specify, spelled S-P-E-C-I-F-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas (genau / ausdrücklich) angeben, präzisieren; spezifizieren

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how specify appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. „Masters, do not forget to specify, when time and place shall serve, that I am an ass.“ (Shakespeare)

Synonyms

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 "specify"?
"specify" is spelled S-P-E-C-I-F-Y. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈspesɪfaɪ].
What does "specify" mean?
As a verb, "specify" means: etwas (genau / ausdrücklich) angeben, präzisieren; spezifizieren
How do you pronounce "specify"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "specify" is [ˈspesɪfaɪ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "specify" come from?
"specify" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list