zeitgenössisch

[ˈt͡saɪ̯tɡəˌnœsɪʃ]

/[ˈt͡saɪ̯tɡəˌnœsɪʃ]/ adj

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

The verdict

“zeitgenössisch” is uncommon German (frequency #66,895 among 37,643 “Z” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,895
frequency rank, German
37,643
“Z” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - aus der (heutigen) Zeit stammend

Key facts for zeitgenössisch
PropertyValue
Headwordzeitgenössisch
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈt͡saɪ̯tɡəˌnœsɪʃ]
Letters14
Frequency rank#66,895
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “zeitgenössisch” 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). zeitgenössisch lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

zeitgenössisch is uncommon German at frequency #66,895 among 37,643 “Z” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed [ˈt͡saɪ̯tɡəˌnœsɪʃ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "aus der (heutigen) Zeit stammend".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for zeitgenössisch, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is zeitgenössisch, spelled Z-E-I-T-G-E-N-Ö-S-S-I-S-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    aus der (heutigen) Zeit stammend

Synonyms

gegenwärtigkontemporär

Antonyms

historischvergangen

This word in other languages

contemporary(English)contemporáneo(Español)contemporain(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 "zeitgenössisch"?
"zeitgenössisch" is spelled Z-E-I-T-G-E-N-Ö-S-S-I-S-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈt͡saɪ̯tɡəˌnœsɪʃ].
What does "zeitgenössisch" mean?
As an adjective, "zeitgenössisch" means: aus der (heutigen) Zeit stammend
How do you pronounce "zeitgenössisch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zeitgenössisch" is [ˈt͡saɪ̯tɡəˌnœsɪʃ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "zeitgenössisch" come from?
"zeitgenössisch" 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 “zeitgenössisch”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is Z-E-I-T-G-E-N-Ö-S-S-I-S-C-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈt͡saɪ̯tɡəˌnœsɪʃ] (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

Other uncommon German words near this rank

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