Stelze

[ˈʃtɛlt͡sə]

/[ˈʃtɛlt͡sə]/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“Stelze” 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
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Stange zum Verlängern eines Beines (paarweise verwendet)

Key facts for Stelze
PropertyValue
HeadwordStelze
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈʃtɛlt͡sə]
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Stelze” sits in German frequency

Stelze 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 Stelze is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʃtɛlt͡sə]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for Stelze, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is Stelze, spelled S-T-E-L-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Stange zum Verlängern eines Beines (paarweise verwendet)
  2. 2
    Pfahl bei einem Pfahlbau
  3. 3
    Vertreter der Vogelgattung Motacilla
  4. 4
    Kurzwort für Kalbsstelze, Schweinsstelze

Synonyms

PfahlEisbeinKalbsstelzeSchweinsstelze

This word in other languages

stilt(English)zanco(Español)échasse(Français)

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 "Stelze"?
"Stelze" is spelled S-T-E-L-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃtɛlt͡sə].
What does "Stelze" mean?
As a noun, "Stelze" means: Stange zum Verlängern eines Beines (paarweise verwendet)
How do you pronounce "Stelze"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Stelze" is [ˈʃtɛlt͡sə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Stelze" come from?
"Stelze" 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 “Stelze”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-T-E-L-Z-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈʃtɛlt͡sə] (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