überreif

[ˈyːbɐˌʁaɪ̯f]

/[ˈyːbɐˌʁaɪ̯f]/ adj

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - zu reif, über den optimalen Zeitpunkt der Reife/Essbarkeit hinaus

Corpus desk

Index DE-uberreif · überreif · German

überreif · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 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 überreif
PropertyValue
Headwordüberreif
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈyːbɐˌʁaɪ̯f]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „überreif“ im Deutschen

überreifliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

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

Rare enough to double-check

überreif is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed [ˈyːbɐˌʁaɪ̯f]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "zu reif, über den optimalen Zeitpunkt der Reife/Essbarkeit hinaus".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for überreif, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is überreif, spelled Ü-B-E-R-R-E-I-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    zu reif, über den optimalen Zeitpunkt der Reife/Essbarkeit hinaus

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. „Ich war noch nie ohne die Gewissheit in der Luft gewesen, dass mich ein Gravitationsfeld umgab, das unter allen Umständen verhindern würde, dass ich mit hundertfünfzig Metern pro Sekunde in die Tiefe rauschte und wie eine überreife Melone zerplatzte.“
  2. „‹Nachrichtendienstliche Erkenntnisse sind wie überreife Früchte. Wenn man sie nicht zügig isst, vergammeln sie.›“

This word in other languages

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 "überreif"?
"überreif" is spelled Ü-B-E-R-R-E-I-F. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈyːbɐˌʁaɪ̯f].
What does "überreif" mean?
As an adjective, "überreif" means: zu reif, über den optimalen Zeitpunkt der Reife/Essbarkeit hinaus
How do you pronounce "überreif"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "überreif" is [ˈyːbɐˌʁaɪ̯f]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "überreif" come from?
"überreif" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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