vice versa

[ˈviːt͡sə vɛʁza]

/[ˈviːt͡sə vɛʁza]/ adv

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

The verdict

“vice versa” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as an adverb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - im umgekehrten Wechsel, andersherum, umgekehrt

Key facts for vice versa
PropertyValue
Headwordvice versa
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdverb
IPA[ˈviːt͡sə vɛʁza]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vice versa” sits in German frequency

vice versa 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for vice versa is 10 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈviːt͡sə vɛʁza]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "im umgekehrten Wechsel, andersherum, umgekehrt".

vice versa doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is vice versa, spelled V-I-C-E- -V-E-R-S-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    im umgekehrten Wechsel, andersherum, umgekehrt

This word in other languages

vice versa(English)vice versa(Français)

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 "vice versa"?
"vice versa" is spelled V-I-C-E- -V-E-R-S-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈviːt͡sə vɛʁza].
What does "vice versa" mean?
As an adverb, "vice versa" means: im umgekehrten Wechsel, andersherum, umgekehrt
How do you pronounce "vice versa"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vice versa" is [ˈviːt͡sə vɛʁza]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "vice versa" come from?
"vice versa" 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 “vice versa”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is V-I-C-E- -V-E-R-S-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈviːt͡sə vɛʁza] (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list