zu Tode kommen

[t͡suː ˈtoːdə ˈkɔmən]

/[t͡suː ˈtoːdə ˈkɔmən]/ phrase

The verdict

“zu Tode kommen” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - infolge von Unfall, Krankheit, Ermordung oder dergleichen aufhören zu leben

Corpus desk

Index DE-zu-tode-kommen · zu Tode kommen · German

zu Tode kommen · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "Z" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for zu Tode kommen
PropertyValue
Headwordzu Tode kommen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[t͡suː ˈtoːdə ˈkɔmən]
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „zu Tode kommen“ im Deutschen

zu Tode kommensitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

zu Tode kommen is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [t͡suː ˈtoːdə ˈkɔmən]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "infolge von Unfall, Krankheit, Ermordung oder dergleichen aufhören zu leben".

zu Tode kommen doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is zu Tode kommen, spelled Z-U- -T-O-D-E- -K-O-M-M-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    infolge von Unfall, Krankheit, Ermordung oder dergleichen aufhören zu leben

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Zieh dir was Warmes an, du willst doch nicht zu Tode kommen!

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "zu Tode kommen"?
"zu Tode kommen" is spelled Z-U- -T-O-D-E- -K-O-M-M-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [t͡suː ˈtoːdə ˈkɔmən].
What does "zu Tode kommen" mean?
As a phrase, "zu Tode kommen" means: infolge von Unfall, Krankheit, Ermordung oder dergleichen aufhören zu leben
How do you pronounce "zu Tode kommen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zu Tode kommen" is [t͡suː ˈtoːdə ˈkɔmən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "zu Tode kommen" come from?
"zu Tode kommen" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list