Zwielaut

[ˈt͡sviːˌlaʊ̯t]

/[ˈt͡sviːˌlaʊ̯t]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - deutscher Ausdruck für Diphthong; Folge von zwei Vokalen in einer Silbe, die phonetisch als Einheit aufgefasst werden.

Corpus desk

Index DE-zwielaut · Zwielaut · German

Zwielaut · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 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 Zwielaut
PropertyValue
HeadwordZwielaut
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈt͡sviːˌlaʊ̯t]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Zwielaut“ im Deutschen

Zwielautsitzt 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

Zwielaut is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈt͡sviːˌlaʊ̯t]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "deutscher Ausdruck für Diphthong; Folge von zwei Vokalen in einer Silbe, die phonetisch als Einheit aufgefasst werden.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for Zwielaut, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is Zwielaut, spelled Z-W-I-E-L-A-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    deutscher Ausdruck für Diphthong; Folge von zwei Vokalen in einer Silbe, die phonetisch als Einheit aufgefasst werden.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Im Deutschen gibt es folgende Diphthonge: [aɪ̯] (Hai), [aʊ̯] (Bau), [ɔɪ̯] (Heu) und [ʊɪ̯] (nur in Interjektionen und Fremdwörtern; z.B. hui, pfui, ui; Uigure).
  2. „Die Bezeichnung der Vokalverbindung als Zwielaut und ihre Bedeutung als Silbenkern sind hier bereits hervorzuheben.“

Synonyms

Antonyms

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 "Zwielaut"?
"Zwielaut" is spelled Z-W-I-E-L-A-U-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈt͡sviːˌlaʊ̯t].
What does "Zwielaut" mean?
As a noun, "Zwielaut" means: deutscher Ausdruck für Diphthong; Folge von zwei Vokalen in einer Silbe, die phonetisch als Einheit aufgefasst werden.
How do you pronounce "Zwielaut"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Zwielaut" is [ˈt͡sviːˌlaʊ̯t]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Zwielaut" come from?
"Zwielaut" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list