Tonzeichen

[ˈtoːnˌt͡saɪ̯çn̩]

/[ˈtoːnˌt͡saɪ̯çn̩]/ noun

The verdict

“Tonzeichen” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - diakritisches Zeichen zur Darstellung der für die Kommunikation wichtigen Töne in Tonsprachen

Corpus desk

Index DE-tonzeichen · Tonzeichen · German

Tonzeichen · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "T" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Tonzeichen
PropertyValue
HeadwordTonzeichen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈtoːnˌt͡saɪ̯çn̩]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Tonzeichen“ im Deutschen

Tonzeichenschafft es nicht in die Top 100.000 des Deutschen: Zone für Fach-, Alt- oder Seltenwortschatz.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Tonzeichen is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈtoːnˌt͡saɪ̯çn̩]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "diakritisches Zeichen zur Darstellung der für die Kommunikation wichtigen Töne in Tonsprachen".

No misspelling variants are generated for Tonzeichen in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Tonzeichen, spelled T-O-N-Z-E-I-C-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    diakritisches Zeichen zur Darstellung der für die Kommunikation wichtigen Töne in Tonsprachen

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how Tonzeichen appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. „Außer den 26 Buchstaben des lateinischen Alphabets verwendet die pīnyīn Orthographie zwei diakritische Zeichen (…) und vier Tonzeichen (…).“

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 "Tonzeichen"?
"Tonzeichen" is spelled T-O-N-Z-E-I-C-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈtoːnˌt͡saɪ̯çn̩].
What does "Tonzeichen" mean?
As a noun, "Tonzeichen" means: diakritisches Zeichen zur Darstellung der für die Kommunikation wichtigen Töne in Tonsprachen
How do you pronounce "Tonzeichen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Tonzeichen" is [ˈtoːnˌt͡saɪ̯çn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Tonzeichen" come from?
"Tonzeichen" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list