umlaufen

[ˈʊmˌlaʊ̯fn̩]

/[ˈʊmˌlaʊ̯fn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - weitergegeben werden; von einem Personenkreis zum anderen laufen; weitervermittelt werden

Key facts for umlaufen
PropertyValue
Headwordumlaufen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈʊmˌlaʊ̯fn̩]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “umlaufen” sits in German frequency

umlaufen 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

umlaufen is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [ˈʊmˌlaʊ̯fn̩]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for umlaufen in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is umlaufen, spelled U-M-L-A-U-F-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    weitergegeben werden; von einem Personenkreis zum anderen laufen; weitervermittelt werden
  2. 2
    so heftig gegen jemanden oder etwas laufen, dass er beziehungsweise es dabei zu Fall gebracht wird
  3. 3
    sich in einem Kreislauf bewegen
  4. 4
    dauernd die Richtung wechseln

This word in other languages

circulate(English)contornear(Español)circuler(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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "umlaufen"?
"umlaufen" is spelled U-M-L-A-U-F-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʊmˌlaʊ̯fn̩].
What does "umlaufen" mean?
As a verb, "umlaufen" means: weitergegeben werden; von einem Personenkreis zum anderen laufen; weitervermittelt werden
How do you pronounce "umlaufen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "umlaufen" is [ˈʊmˌlaʊ̯fn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "umlaufen" come from?
"umlaufen" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “umlaufen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is U-M-L-A-U-F-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈʊmˌlaʊ̯fn̩] (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
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