subversive

[səbˈvəːsɪv]

/[səbˈvəːsɪv]/ adj

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

The verdict

“subversive” is uncommon German (frequency #69,750 among 107,600 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#69,750
frequency rank, German
107,600
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - subversiv: umstürzlerisch

Key facts for subversive
PropertyValue
Headwordsubversive
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[səbˈvəːsɪv]
Letters10
Frequency rank#69,750
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “subversive” 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). subversive lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

subversive is uncommon German at frequency #69,750 among 107,600 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed [səbˈvəːsɪv]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "subversiv: umstürzlerisch".

No misspelling variants are generated for subversive in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is subversive, spelled S-U-B-V-E-R-S-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    subversiv: umstürzlerisch

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 "subversive"?
"subversive" is spelled S-U-B-V-E-R-S-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is [səbˈvəːsɪv].
What does "subversive" mean?
As an adjective, "subversive" means: subversiv: umstürzlerisch
How do you pronounce "subversive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "subversive" is [səbˈvəːsɪv]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "subversive" come from?
"subversive" 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 “subversive”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-U-B-V-E-R-S-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [səbˈvəːsɪv] (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

Other uncommon German words near this rank

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