UTC

[ˌuːteːˈt͡seː]

/[ˌuːteːˈt͡seː]/ abbrev

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

The verdict

“UTC” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #21,815 in German word frequency and used as an abbreviation.

#21,815
frequency rank, German
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Koordinierte Weltzeit; die Referenzzeit, von der die Ortszeiten in den verschiedenen Zeitzonen der Erde abgeleitet werden

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

UTC vs UV
33% similar
UTC vs Uwe
33% similar
UTC vs Ute
33% similar

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

Key facts for UTC
PropertyValue
HeadwordUTC
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAbbreviation
IPA[ˌuːteːˈt͡seː]
Letters3
Frequency rank#21,815
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “UTC” 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). UTC 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 UTC is 3 letters long, classified as an abbreviation, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˌuːteːˈt͡seː]. Corpus data places it at rank #21,815 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for UTC in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "UV", "Uwe", "Ute", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is UTC, spelled U-T-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Koordinierte Weltzeit; die Referenzzeit, von der die Ortszeiten in den verschiedenen Zeitzonen der Erde abgeleitet werden
  2. 2
    Ein Komitee, das den technischen Inhalt des Unicode-Standards festlegt
  3. 3
    Eine US-amerikanische Firma
  4. 4
    Ein Endgerät eines Netzwerkes (Anwendung oder Computer), dessen Funktion rein die Anzeige von Daten ist

Synonyms

Z-ZeitZulu-ZeitUTGMTGreenwich Mean TimeGreenwich Meridian Time

This word in other languages

UTC(English)UTC(Français)

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 "UTC"?
"UTC" is spelled U-T-C. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌuːteːˈt͡seː].
What does "UTC" mean?
As an abbreviation, "UTC" means: Koordinierte Weltzeit; die Referenzzeit, von der die Ortszeiten in den verschiedenen Zeitzonen der Erde abgeleitet werden
What words are commonly confused with "UTC"?
"UTC" is commonly confused with "UV", "Uwe", "Ute". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "UTC"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "UTC" is [ˌuːteːˈt͡seː]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "UTC" come from?
"UTC" 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 “UTC”

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

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