swim

[swɪm]

/[swɪm]/ verb

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

The verdict

“swim” is uncommon German (frequency #65,745 among 107,600 “S” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,745
frequency rank, German
107,600
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - sich auf oder in einer Flüssigkeit (aus eigener Kraft) fortbewegen; schwimmen

Key facts for swim
PropertyValue
Headwordswim
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[swɪm]
Letters4
Frequency rank#65,745
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “swim” 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). swim 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

swim is uncommon German at frequency #65,745 among 107,600 “S” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed [swɪm]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

swim has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is swim, spelled S-W-I-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    sich auf oder in einer Flüssigkeit (aus eigener Kraft) fortbewegen; schwimmen
  2. 2
    ins Wasser tauchen/gehen, um sich zu reinigen oder zu erfrischen; baden
  3. 3
    auf einem Medium treiben; nicht untergehen; schweben
  4. 4
    sich dem Schwimmen^([1]) ähnlich fortbewegen; treiben, gleiten

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 "swim"?
"swim" is spelled S-W-I-M. The IPA pronunciation is [swɪm].
What does "swim" mean?
As a verb, "swim" means: sich auf oder in einer Flüssigkeit (aus eigener Kraft) fortbewegen; schwimmen
How do you pronounce "swim"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "swim" is [swɪm]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "swim" come from?
"swim" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “swim”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-W-I-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [swɪm] (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