überliefern

[ˌyːbɐˈliːfɐn]

/[ˌyːbɐˈliːfɐn]/ verb

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas, beispielsweise eine Geschichte, einen Brauch, an die Nachkommen weitererzählen/weitergeben

Corpus desk

Index DE-uberliefern · überliefern · German

überliefern · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "Ü" 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 überliefern
PropertyValue
Headwordüberliefern
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˌyːbɐˈliːfɐn]
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “überliefern” sits in German frequency

überliefern falls outside the top-100,000 ranked German words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

überliefern is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [ˌyːbɐˈliːfɐn]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for überliefern in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is überliefern, spelled Ü-B-E-R-L-I-E-F-E-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas, beispielsweise eine Geschichte, einen Brauch, an die Nachkommen weitererzählen/weitergeben
  2. 2
    eine Person jemandem gegen den Willen dieser Person übergeben

Synonyms

tradierenweitergebenweiterreichenweiterleitenausliefern

This word in other languages

hand down(English)transmettre(Français)

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "überliefern"?
"überliefern" is spelled Ü-B-E-R-L-I-E-F-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌyːbɐˈliːfɐn].
What does "überliefern" mean?
As a verb, "überliefern" means: etwas, beispielsweise eine Geschichte, einen Brauch, an die Nachkommen weitererzählen/weitergeben
How do you pronounce "überliefern"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "überliefern" is [ˌyːbɐˈliːfɐn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "überliefern" come from?
"überliefern" 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.
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