Vorfahr

[ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfaːɐ̯]

/[ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfaːɐ̯]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Vorfahr” is an uncommon German word, ranked #87,249 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#87,249
frequency rank, German
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Lebewesen männlichen oder weiblichen Geschlechts, von denen ein jüngeres Lebewesen abstammt

Key facts for Vorfahr
PropertyValue
HeadwordVorfahr
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfaːɐ̯]
Letters7
Frequency rank#87,249
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Vorfahr” 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). Vorfahr 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 Vorfahr is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfaːɐ̯]. Corpus data places it at rank #87,249 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Lebewesen männlichen oder weiblichen Geschlechts, von denen ein jüngeres Lebewesen abstammt".

No misspelling variants are generated for Vorfahr in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is Vorfahr, spelled V-O-R-F-A-H-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lebewesen männlichen oder weiblichen Geschlechts, von denen ein jüngeres Lebewesen abstammt

Synonyms

AhnAhne

Antonyms

NachkommeNachfahrNachfahre

This word in other languages

ancestor(English)antepasado(Español)ancêtre(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 "Vorfahr"?
"Vorfahr" is spelled V-O-R-F-A-H-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfaːɐ̯].
What does "Vorfahr" mean?
As a noun, "Vorfahr" means: Lebewesen männlichen oder weiblichen Geschlechts, von denen ein jüngeres Lebewesen abstammt
How do you pronounce "Vorfahr"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Vorfahr" is [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfaːɐ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Vorfahr" come from?
"Vorfahr" 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 “Vorfahr”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is V-O-R-F-A-H-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfaːɐ̯] (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