UFO

[ˈuːfo]

/[ˈuːfo]/ abbrev

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

The verdict

“UFO” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #17,747 in German word frequency and used as an abbreviation.

#17,747
frequency rank, German
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - unbekanntes Flugobjekt (unidentifiziertes Flugobjekt, unidentifiziertes fliegendes Objekt)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

UFO vs um
0% similar
UFO vs us
0% similar
UFO vs up
0% similar

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

Key facts for UFO
PropertyValue
HeadwordUFO
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAbbreviation
IPA[ˈuːfo]
Letters3
Frequency rank#17,747
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “UFO” 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). UFO 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 UFO is 3 letters long, classified as an abbreviation, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈuːfo]. Corpus data places it at rank #17,747 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

UFO has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "um", "us", "up", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is UFO, spelled U-F-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    unbekanntes Flugobjekt (unidentifiziertes Flugobjekt, unidentifiziertes fliegendes Objekt)
  2. 2
    ein fremdes Raumschiff

Synonyms

fremdesunbekanntesFremdflugkörperAlienraumschiffAlienschiffaußerirdisches

This word in other languages

UFO(English)ovni(Español)ovni(Français)

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 "UFO"?
"UFO" is spelled U-F-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈuːfo].
What does "UFO" mean?
As an abbreviation, "UFO" means: unbekanntes Flugobjekt (unidentifiziertes Flugobjekt, unidentifiziertes fliegendes Objekt)
What words are commonly confused with "UFO"?
"UFO" is commonly confused with "um", "us", "up". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "UFO"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "UFO" is [ˈuːfo]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "UFO" come from?
"UFO" 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.

Using “UFO”

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

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