suboptimal

[ˌzʊpʔɔptiˈmaːl]

/[ˌzʊpʔɔptiˈmaːl]/ adj

The verdict

“suboptimal” has 15 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #39,055. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,055
frequency rank, German
107,600
“S” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - nicht ganz perfekt, nicht optimal

Key facts for suboptimal
PropertyValue
Headwordsuboptimal
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˌzʊpʔɔptiˈmaːl]
Letters10
Frequency rank#39,055
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “suboptimal” 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). suboptimal lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around suboptimal (IPA [ˌzʊpʔɔptiˈmaːl]), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #39,055 among 107,600 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for suboptimal, with forms such as "sbuoptimal", "ssuboptimal", and "subboptimal". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is suboptimal, spelled S-U-B-O-P-T-I-M-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    nicht ganz perfekt, nicht optimal
  2. 2
    überhaupt nicht gut, sehr ungünstig, beschissen

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sbuoptimal,ssuboptimal,subboptimal,subopitmal,subopptimal,suboptiaml,suboptimall,suboptimla,suboptimmal,suboptmial,subopttimal,subotpimal,subpotimal,suobptimal,usboptimal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of suboptimal - 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.

sbuoptimal2ssuboptimal1subboptimal1subopitmal2subopptimal1suboptiaml2suboptimall1suboptimla2
Edit distance from "suboptimal"

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 "suboptimal"?
"suboptimal" is spelled S-U-B-O-P-T-I-M-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌzʊpʔɔptiˈmaːl].
What does "suboptimal" mean?
As an adjective, "suboptimal" means: nicht ganz perfekt, nicht optimal
What are common misspellings of "suboptimal"?
Common misspellings include "sbuoptimal", "ssuboptimal", "subboptimal", "subopitmal", "subopptimal". The correct spelling is "suboptimal".
How do you pronounce "suboptimal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "suboptimal" is [ˌzʊpʔɔptiˈmaːl]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "suboptimal" come from?
"suboptimal" 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.

Using “suboptimal”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-U-B-O-P-T-I-M-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˌzʊpʔɔptiˈmaːl] (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

Same frequency band

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