Unterhaltung

[ʊntɐˈhaltʊŋ]

/[ʊntɐˈhaltʊŋ]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Unterhaltung” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #3,158 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,158
frequency rank, German
12
letters
19
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - der Unterhalt, die materielle oder finanzielle Unterstützung

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Unterhaltung vs Unterhaltungen
86% similar
Unterhaltung vs unterhalten
75% similar

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

Key facts for Unterhaltung
PropertyValue
HeadwordUnterhaltung
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ʊntɐˈhaltʊŋ]
Letters12
Frequency rank#3,158
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Unterhaltung” 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). Unterhaltung 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 Unterhaltung is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ʊntɐˈhaltʊŋ]. Corpus data places it at rank #3,158 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for Unterhaltung, with forms such as "nuterhaltung", "unetrhaltung", and "unnterhaltung". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Unterhaltungen", "unterhalten", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is Unterhaltung, spelled U-N-T-E-R-H-A-L-T-U-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    der Unterhalt, die materielle oder finanzielle Unterstützung
  2. 2
    der Zeitvertreib, die Belustigung, Erbauung
  3. 3
    die Wartung, Instandhaltung, die Aufrechterhaltung des Betriebes
  4. 4
    Situation, in der mehrere Personen miteinander sprechen

Synonyms

UnterhaltStützeStützungAlimenteZuschussZuwendungBelustigungEntertainmentErbauungZerstreuungInstandhaltungWartungGesprächKonversationSchwatzSmalltalk

Antonyms

Vernachlässigung

This word in other languages

maintenance(English)mantenimiento(Español)entretien(Français)divertimento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: nuterhaltung,unetrhaltung,unnterhaltung,untehraltung,unterahltung,unterhalltung,unterhaltnug,unterhalttung,unterhaltugn,unterhaltungg,unterhaltunng,unterhalutng,unterhatlung,unterhhaltung,unterhlatung,unterrhaltung,untrehaltung,untterhaltung,utnerhaltung

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Unterhaltung - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

nuterhaltung2unetrhaltung2unnterhaltung1untehraltung2unterahltung2unterhalltung1unterhaltnug2unterhalttung1
Edit distance from "Unterhaltung"

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 "Unterhaltung"?
"Unterhaltung" is spelled U-N-T-E-R-H-A-L-T-U-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is [ʊntɐˈhaltʊŋ].
What does "Unterhaltung" mean?
As a noun, "Unterhaltung" means: der Unterhalt, die materielle oder finanzielle Unterstützung
What words are commonly confused with "Unterhaltung"?
"Unterhaltung" is commonly confused with "Unterhaltungen", "unterhalten". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Unterhaltung"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Unterhaltung" is [ʊntɐˈhaltʊŋ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Unterhaltung" come from?
"Unterhaltung" 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.

Using “Unterhaltung”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is U-N-T-E-R-H-A-L-T-U-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ʊntɐˈhaltʊŋ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Unterhaltungen” - see the side-by-side comparison. Unterhaltung vs Unterhaltungen
  • 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