Unternehmen

[ʊntɐˈneːmən]

/[ʊntɐˈneːmən]/ noun

The verdict

“Unternehmen” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #372 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#372
frequency rank, German
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Gesellschaft, die in Produktion oder Handel tätig ist oder Dienstleistungen erbringt

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Unternehmen vs Unternehmer
91% similar
Unternehmen vs unternommen
73% similar
Unternehmen vs Unternehmens
92% similar

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

Key facts for Unternehmen
PropertyValue
HeadwordUnternehmen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ʊntɐˈneːmən]
Letters11
Frequency rank#372
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Unternehmen” 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). Unternehmen 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 Unternehmen is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ʊntɐˈneːmən]. Corpus data places it at rank #372 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for Unternehmen, with forms such as "nuternehmen", "unetrnehmen", and "unnternehmen". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "Unternehmer", "unternommen", "Unternehmens", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is Unternehmen, spelled U-N-T-E-R-N-E-H-M-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Gesellschaft, die in Produktion oder Handel tätig ist oder Dienstleistungen erbringt
  2. 2
    Durchführung eines Gedankens oder Plans

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: nuternehmen,unetrnehmen,unnternehmen,untenrehmen,unterenhmen,unternehemn,unternehhmen,unternehmenn,unternehmmen,unternehmne,unternemhen,unternhemen,unternnehmen,unterrnehmen,untrenehmen,untternehmen,utnernehmen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Unternehmen - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

nuternehmen2unetrnehmen2unnternehmen1untenrehmen2unterenhmen2unternehemn2unternehhmen1unternehmenn1
Edit distance from "Unternehmen"

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 "Unternehmen"?
"Unternehmen" is spelled U-N-T-E-R-N-E-H-M-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ʊntɐˈneːmən].
What does "Unternehmen" mean?
As a noun, "Unternehmen" means: Gesellschaft, die in Produktion oder Handel tätig ist oder Dienstleistungen erbringt
What words are commonly confused with "Unternehmen"?
"Unternehmen" is commonly confused with "Unternehmer", "unternommen", "Unternehmens". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Unternehmen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Unternehmen" is [ʊntɐˈneːmən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Unternehmen" come from?
"Unternehmen" 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 “Unternehmen”

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

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