start-up

[ˈstɑːtʌp]

/[ˈstɑːtʌp]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - junges und speziell kleines Unternehmen

Corpus desk

Index DE-start-up · start-up · German

start-up · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 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 start-up
PropertyValue
Headwordstart-up
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈstɑːtʌp]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „start-up“ im Deutschen

start-upsitzt 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

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

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for start-up, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is start-up, spelled S-T-A-R-T---U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    junges und speziell kleines Unternehmen
  2. 2
    in Gang oder Betrieb setzender Akt oder Prozess

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 "start-up"?
"start-up" is spelled S-T-A-R-T---U-P. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈstɑːtʌp].
What does "start-up" mean?
As a noun, "start-up" means: junges und speziell kleines Unternehmen
How do you pronounce "start-up"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "start-up" is [ˈstɑːtʌp]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "start-up" come from?
"start-up" 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