word

[wɜːd]

/[wɜːd]/ noun

The verdict

“word” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #8,661 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,661
frequency rank, German
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - kleinste selbstständige bedeutungstragende Einheit der Sprache

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

word vs WR
0% similar
word vs wow
50% similar
word vs Wort
50% similar

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

Key facts for word
PropertyValue
Headwordword
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[wɜːd]
Letters4
Frequency rank#8,661
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “word” 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). word 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 word is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [wɜːd]. Corpus data places it at rank #8,661 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for word, with forms such as "owrd", "wodr", and "wordd". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "WR", "wow", "Wort", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is word, spelled W-O-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    kleinste selbstständige bedeutungstragende Einheit der Sprache
  2. 2
    Information oder Mitteilung über eine Neuigkeit
  3. 3
    Abfolge von beispielsweise 16 oder 64 Bits in der Informatik, die zusammen verarbeitet werden

Synonyms

machine word

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: owrd,wodr,wordd,worrd,wrod,wword

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of word - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

owrd2wodr2wordd1worrd1wrod2wword1
Edit distance from "word"

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 "word"?
"word" is spelled W-O-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is [wɜːd].
What does "word" mean?
As a noun, "word" means: kleinste selbstständige bedeutungstragende Einheit der Sprache
What words are commonly confused with "word"?
"word" is commonly confused with "WR", "wow", "Wort". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "word"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "word" is [wɜːd]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "word" come from?
"word" 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 “word”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is W-O-R-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [wɜːd] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “WR” - see the side-by-side comparison. word vs WR
  • 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