unterbezahlen

[ˈʊntɐbəˌt͡saːlən]

/[ˈʊntɐbəˌt͡saːlən]/ verb

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - jemandem weniger Lohn/Gehalt/Entgelt geben, als für die Leistung angemessen ist oder einer Regelung entsprechend gezahlt werden sollte

Key facts for unterbezahlen
PropertyValue
Headwordunterbezahlen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈʊntɐbəˌt͡saːlən]
Letters13
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “unterbezahlen” sits in German frequency

unterbezahlen 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

unterbezahlen is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [ˈʊntɐbəˌt͡saːlən]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "jemandem weniger Lohn/Gehalt/Entgelt geben, als für die Leistung angemessen ist oder einer Regelung entsprechend gezahlt werden sollte".

No misspelling variants are generated for unterbezahlen in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is unterbezahlen, spelled U-N-T-E-R-B-E-Z-A-H-L-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    jemandem weniger Lohn/Gehalt/Entgelt geben, als für die Leistung angemessen ist oder einer Regelung entsprechend gezahlt werden sollte

Antonyms

überbezahlen

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 "unterbezahlen"?
"unterbezahlen" is spelled U-N-T-E-R-B-E-Z-A-H-L-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʊntɐbəˌt͡saːlən].
What does "unterbezahlen" mean?
As a verb, "unterbezahlen" means: jemandem weniger Lohn/Gehalt/Entgelt geben, als für die Leistung angemessen ist oder einer Regelung entsprechend gezahlt werden sollte
How do you pronounce "unterbezahlen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unterbezahlen" is [ˈʊntɐbəˌt͡saːlən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "unterbezahlen" come from?
"unterbezahlen" 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 “unterbezahlen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is U-N-T-E-R-B-E-Z-A-H-L-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈʊntɐbəˌt͡saːlən] (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