zwieback

[ˈtsviːbak]

/[ˈtsviːbak]/ noun

The verdict

“zwieback” is uncommon German (frequency #60,293 among 37,643 “Z” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,293
frequency rank, German
37,643
“Z” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Zwieback: aus einem meistens gesüßten Teig in Laibform gebackenes, dann in Scheiben geschnittenes und anschließend trocken, braun und knusprig geröstetes Brot

Key facts for zwieback
PropertyValue
Headwordzwieback
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈtsviːbak]
Letters8
Frequency rank#60,293
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “zwieback” 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). zwieback 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

zwieback is uncommon German at frequency #60,293 among 37,643 “Z” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈtsviːbak]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Zwieback: aus einem meistens gesüßten Teig in Laibform gebackenes, dann in Scheiben geschnittenes und anschließend trocken, braun und knusprig geröstetes Brot".

zwieback doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is zwieback, spelled Z-W-I-E-B-A-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Zwieback: aus einem meistens gesüßten Teig in Laibform gebackenes, dann in Scheiben geschnittenes und anschließend trocken, braun und knusprig geröstetes Brot

Synonyms

Brussels biscuitrusktoasttwice-baked bread

This word in other languages

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 "zwieback"?
"zwieback" is spelled Z-W-I-E-B-A-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈtsviːbak].
What does "zwieback" mean?
As a noun, "zwieback" means: Zwieback: aus einem meistens gesüßten Teig in Laibform gebackenes, dann in Scheiben geschnittenes und anschließend trocken, braun und knusprig geröstetes Brot
How do you pronounce "zwieback"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zwieback" is [ˈtsviːbak]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "zwieback" come from?
"zwieback" 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 “zwieback”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is Z-W-I-E-B-A-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈtsviːbak] (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