Terror

[ˈtɛʁoːɐ̯]

/[ˈtɛʁoːɐ̯]/ noun

The verdict

“Terror” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #4,566 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,566
frequency rank, German
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Gewalttaten einer bestimmten Gruppe von Menschen, zum Beispiel Bombenanschläge oder Morde, um bestimmte Ziele durchzusetzen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Terror vs Terry
67% similar
Terror vs teurer
50% similar
Terror vs Terrors
86% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Terror
PropertyValue
HeadwordTerror
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈtɛʁoːɐ̯]
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,566
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Terror” 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). Terror lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for Terror is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈtɛʁoːɐ̯]. Corpus data places it at rank #4,566 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Terror, with forms such as "etrror", "teror", and "terorr". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "Terry", "teurer", "Terrors", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Terror, spelled T-E-R-R-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Gewalttaten einer bestimmten Gruppe von Menschen, zum Beispiel Bombenanschläge oder Morde, um bestimmte Ziele durchzusetzen
  2. 2
    länger andauernde, systematische Verbreitung von Angst und Schrecken, um andere einzuschüchtern und schließlich zu beherrschen
  3. 3
    anhaltende, belastende Auseinandersetzung/Stimmung

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etrror,teror,terorr,terrorr,terrro,treror,tterror

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etrror2teror1terorr2terrorr1terrro2treror2tterror1
Edit distance from "Terror"

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 "Terror"?
"Terror" is spelled T-E-R-R-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈtɛʁoːɐ̯].
What does "Terror" mean?
As a noun, "Terror" means: Gewalttaten einer bestimmten Gruppe von Menschen, zum Beispiel Bombenanschläge oder Morde, um bestimmte Ziele durchzusetzen
What words are commonly confused with "Terror"?
"Terror" is commonly confused with "Terry", "teurer", "Terrors". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Terror"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Terror" is [ˈtɛʁoːɐ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Terror" come from?
"Terror" 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 “Terror”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is T-E-R-R-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈtɛʁoːɐ̯] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Terry” - see the side-by-side comparison. Terror vs Terry
  • 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