Zeitgeist

[ˈt͡saɪ̯tˌɡaɪ̯st]

/[ˈt͡saɪ̯tˌɡaɪ̯st]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Zeitgeist” has 14 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #15,273. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,273
frequency rank, German
1,996
“Z” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - verbreitetes Gedankengut einer Generation oder Epoche; die Einstellung der meisten Leute einer bestimmten Gesellschaft zu einer bestimmten Zeit

Corpus desk

Index DE-zeitgeist · Zeitgeist · German

Zeitgeist · rank #15,273 · 14 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,273
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,996
  • PHOTO-FINISH XL

Nearest frequency peer: XL (-1 rank slots)

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rang-Peers am Tippfehler-Magneten „Zeitgeist“

Gleiche Seltenheitsbandbreite: nützlich, wenn ein Tippfehler auf ein Peer-Lemma trifft

corpus weight

What this shows „Zeitgeist“ sitzt unter diesen FrequencyWords-Peers; die Tippfehlertiefe steht separat im Edit-Distance-Chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Zeitgeist vs zeitweise
67% similar
Zeitgeist vs Zeitreise
78% similar

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

Key facts for Zeitgeist
PropertyValue
HeadwordZeitgeist
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈt͡saɪ̯tˌɡaɪ̯st]
Letters9
Frequency rank#15,273
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Häufigkeitslage von Tippfehler-Magnet „Zeitgeist“

Die Häufigkeit läuft von den wenigen Alltagswörtern (links) bis zur langen, seltenen Schwanzseite (rechts).Zeitgeistliegt hier neben dem Tippfehler-Druck:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Die Skala ist logarithmisch (jeder Tick ≈ 10× seltener). Peers derselben Seltenheitsbandbreite: „XL“ (#15,272), „Zink“ (#15,274), „Zivilgesellschaft“ (#15,275). Unter 1,996 „Z“-Lemmata liegt „Zeitgeist“ bei #15,273. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around Zeitgeist (IPA [ˈt͡saɪ̯tˌɡaɪ̯st]), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,273 among 1,996 “Z” headwords. Dominant gloss: "verbreitetes Gedankengut einer Generation oder Epoche; die Einstellung der meisten Leute einer bestimmten Gesellschaft zu einer bestimmten Zeit".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for Zeitgeist, with forms such as "ezitgeist", "zeigteist", and "zeitegist". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "zeitweise", "Zeitreise", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Zeitgeist, spelled Z-E-I-T-G-E-I-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    verbreitetes Gedankengut einer Generation oder Epoche; die Einstellung der meisten Leute einer bestimmten Gesellschaft zu einer bestimmten Zeit

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Zeitgeist appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Der Zeitgeist der 60er und 70er Jahre ist bereits Vergangenheit.
  2. „Umstände und Zeitgeist verwandelten seine zunächst vielversprechende Karriere in eine Tragödie.“

This word in other languages

zeitgeist(English)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ezitgeist
  • zeigteist
  • zeitegist
  • zeitgeisst
  • zeitgeistt
  • zeitgeits
  • zeitgesit
  • zeitggeist
  • zeitgiest
  • zeittgeist
  • zetigeist
  • zietgeist
  • zietgiest
  • zzeitgeist

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Zeitgeist - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ezitgeist2zeigteist2zeitegist2zeitgeisst1zeitgeistt1zeitgeits2zeitgesit2zeitggeist1
Edit distance from "Zeitgeist"

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 "Zeitgeist"?
"Zeitgeist" is spelled Z-E-I-T-G-E-I-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈt͡saɪ̯tˌɡaɪ̯st].
What does "Zeitgeist" mean?
As a noun, "Zeitgeist" means: verbreitetes Gedankengut einer Generation oder Epoche; die Einstellung der meisten Leute einer bestimmten Gesellschaft zu einer bestimmten Zeit
What words are commonly confused with "Zeitgeist"?
"Zeitgeist" is commonly confused with "zeitweise", "Zeitreise". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Zeitgeist"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Zeitgeist" is [ˈt͡saɪ̯tˌɡaɪ̯st]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Zeitgeist" come from?
"Zeitgeist" 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.

Similar German words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "Zeitgeist", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked German headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Abkommens#15,285verwöhnen#15,253verworfen#15,252anzugeben#15,296

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

zubereitet14 variantszutreffend14 variantsWesteuropa14 variantsAkademiker14 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list