unterziehen

[ˌʊntɐˈt͡siːən]

/[ˌʊntɐˈt͡siːən]/ verb

The verdict

“unterziehen” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #15,501 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#15,501
frequency rank, German
11
letters
16
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - eine (notwendige aber unangenehme oder gefährliche) Maßnahme an oder mit sich durchführen lassen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

unterziehen vs untergehen
82% similar
unterziehen vs überziehen
73% similar
unterziehen vs unterliegen
82% similar

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

Key facts for unterziehen
PropertyValue
Headwordunterziehen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˌʊntɐˈt͡siːən]
Letters11
Frequency rank#15,501
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “unterziehen” 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). unterziehen 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 unterziehen is 11 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˌʊntɐˈt͡siːən]. Corpus data places it at rank #15,501 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.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for unterziehen, with forms such as "nuterziehen", "unetrziehen", and "unnterziehen". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "untergehen", "überziehen", "unterliegen", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is unterziehen, spelled U-N-T-E-R-Z-I-E-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    eine (notwendige aber unangenehme oder gefährliche) Maßnahme an oder mit sich durchführen lassen
  2. 2
    eine notwendige (aber unangenehme oder gefährliche) Handlung an etwas oder jemandem durchführen

Synonyms

auf sich nehmen

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: nuterziehen,unetrziehen,unnterziehen,unterizehen,unterrziehen,unterzeihen,unterzieehn,unterziehenn,unterziehhen,unterziehne,unterziheen,unterzziehen,untezriehen,untreziehen,untterziehen,utnerziehen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of unterziehen - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

nuterziehen2unetrziehen2unnterziehen1unterizehen2unterrziehen1unterzeihen2unterzieehn2unterziehenn1
Edit distance from "unterziehen"

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 "unterziehen"?
"unterziehen" is spelled U-N-T-E-R-Z-I-E-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌʊntɐˈt͡siːən].
What does "unterziehen" mean?
As a verb, "unterziehen" means: eine (notwendige aber unangenehme oder gefährliche) Maßnahme an oder mit sich durchführen lassen
What words are commonly confused with "unterziehen"?
"unterziehen" is commonly confused with "untergehen", "überziehen", "unterliegen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unterziehen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unterziehen" is [ˌʊntɐˈt͡siːən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "unterziehen" come from?
"unterziehen" 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 “unterziehen”

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

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