zerfressen

[t͡sɛɐ̯ˈfʁɛsn̩]

/[t͡sɛɐ̯ˈfʁɛsn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

“zerfressen” is uncommon German (frequency #52,602 among 37,643 “Z” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,602
frequency rank, German
37,643
“Z” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - durch Beißen/Nagen (Fressen/Fraß) beschädigen oder zerstören

Key facts for zerfressen
PropertyValue
Headwordzerfressen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[t͡sɛɐ̯ˈfʁɛsn̩]
Letters10
Frequency rank#52,602
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “zerfressen” 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). zerfressen 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

zerfressen is uncommon German at frequency #52,602 among 37,643 “Z” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈfʁɛsn̩]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for zerfressen, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is zerfressen, spelled Z-E-R-F-R-E-S-S-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    durch Beißen/Nagen (Fressen/Fraß) beschädigen oder zerstören
  2. 2
    durch einen aggressiven Stoff oder ein sehr starkes Gefühl beschädigen

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 "zerfressen"?
"zerfressen" is spelled Z-E-R-F-R-E-S-S-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈfʁɛsn̩].
What does "zerfressen" mean?
As a verb, "zerfressen" means: durch Beißen/Nagen (Fressen/Fraß) beschädigen oder zerstören
How do you pronounce "zerfressen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zerfressen" is [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈfʁɛsn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "zerfressen" come from?
"zerfressen" 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 “zerfressen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is Z-E-R-F-R-E-S-S-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈfʁɛsn̩] (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