Totenkopf
[ˈtoːtn̩ˌkɔp͡f]
The verdict
“Totenkopf” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #40,252 in German word frequency and used as a noun.
- #40,252
- frequency rank, German
- 9
- letters
- 14
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - der Kopf eines Verstorbenen
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Totenkopf |
| Language | German |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | [ˈtoːtn̩ˌkɔp͡f] |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #40,252 |
| Misspellings tracked | 14 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Totenkopf” sits in German frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The German entry for Totenkopf is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈtoːtn̩ˌkɔp͡f]. Corpus data places it at rank #40,252 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for Totenkopf, with forms such as "ottenkopf", "toetnkopf", and "toteknopf". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct German form is Totenkopf, spelled T-O-T-E-N-K-O-P-F, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Definition
- 1der Kopf eines Verstorbenen
- 2ein Zeichen, das einen Totenkopf (siehe [1]) und damit Lebensgefahr symbolisiert
- 3Kurzform für den Totenkopfschwärmer
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ottenkopf,toetnkopf,toteknopf,totenkkopf,totenkofp,totenkopff,totenkoppf,totenkpof,totennkopf,totenokpf,totnekopf,tottenkopf,ttoenkopf,ttotenkopf
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Totenkopf - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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.
Cite this page
Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY-SA). Copy the citation:
PlainSpell, “Totenkopf, German word data” (May 6, 2026). Derived from Wiktionary (kaikki.org, CC BY-SA) and an open word-frequency list. https://plainspell.com/de/wort/totenkopf
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "Totenkopf"?
What does "Totenkopf" mean?
What are common misspellings of "Totenkopf"?
How do you pronounce "Totenkopf"?
What language does "Totenkopf" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “Totenkopf”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct German spelling is T-O-T-E-N-K-O-P-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [ˈtoːtn̩ˌkɔp͡f] (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
Nearby German words
Other entries that begin with the letter T in our German index: