Sprachlaut

[ˈʃpʁaːxˌlaʊ̯t]

/[ˈʃpʁaːxˌlaʊ̯t]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - kleinstes Lautsegment der gesprochenen Sprache; Element des Lautsystems einer Sprache.

Corpus desk

Index DE-sprachlaut · Sprachlaut · German

Sprachlaut · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 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 Sprachlaut
PropertyValue
HeadwordSprachlaut
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈʃpʁaːxˌlaʊ̯t]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Sprachlaut“ im Deutschen

Sprachlautsitzt 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

Sprachlaut is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈʃpʁaːxˌlaʊ̯t]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for Sprachlaut in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Sprachlaut, spelled S-P-R-A-C-H-L-A-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    kleinstes Lautsegment der gesprochenen Sprache; Element des Lautsystems einer Sprache.
  2. 2
    in der menschlichen Kommunikation genutzter Laut, im Gegensatz zu anderen menschlichen Lauten (z.B. Räuspern, Stöhnen) oder zu Tierlauten.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In dem Wort "Bild" kommen als Sprachlaute des Deutschen vor: [b] + [ɪ] + [l] + [t].
  2. „Etwa zur gleichen Zeit, als Kempelen (um) 1769 seinen »Schachtürken« entwickelte, befasste er sich auch intensiv mit der Idee, zumindest einzelne Sprachlaute in irgendeiner Weise synthetisch zu erzeugen.“

Synonyms

Antonyms

Tierlaut

This word in other languages

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 "Sprachlaut"?
"Sprachlaut" is spelled S-P-R-A-C-H-L-A-U-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃpʁaːxˌlaʊ̯t].
What does "Sprachlaut" mean?
As a noun, "Sprachlaut" means: kleinstes Lautsegment der gesprochenen Sprache; Element des Lautsystems einer Sprache.
How do you pronounce "Sprachlaut"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Sprachlaut" is [ˈʃpʁaːxˌlaʊ̯t]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Sprachlaut" come from?
"Sprachlaut" 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