widerspenstig

[ˈviːdɐˌʃpɛnstɪç]

/[ˈviːdɐˌʃpɛnstɪç]/ adj

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

The verdict

“widerspenstig” is an uncommon German word, ranked #86,057 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#86,057
frequency rank, German
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - sich sträubend, unbeugsam, sich nicht fügen wollend

Key facts for widerspenstig
PropertyValue
Headwordwiderspenstig
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈviːdɐˌʃpɛnstɪç]
Letters13
Frequency rank#86,057
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “widerspenstig” 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). widerspenstig 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 widerspenstig is 13 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈviːdɐˌʃpɛnstɪç]. Corpus data places it at rank #86,057 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "sich sträubend, unbeugsam, sich nicht fügen wollend".

No generated misspelling entries exist for widerspenstig in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is widerspenstig, spelled W-I-D-E-R-S-P-E-N-S-T-I-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    sich sträubend, unbeugsam, sich nicht fügen wollend

This word in other languages

recalcitrant(English)rebelle(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 "widerspenstig"?
"widerspenstig" is spelled W-I-D-E-R-S-P-E-N-S-T-I-G. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈviːdɐˌʃpɛnstɪç].
What does "widerspenstig" mean?
As an adjective, "widerspenstig" means: sich sträubend, unbeugsam, sich nicht fügen wollend
How do you pronounce "widerspenstig"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "widerspenstig" is [ˈviːdɐˌʃpɛnstɪç]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "widerspenstig" come from?
"widerspenstig" 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 “widerspenstig”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is W-I-D-E-R-S-P-E-N-S-T-I-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈviːdɐˌʃpɛnstɪç] (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