centner

/ˈsɛntnəɹ/

//ˈsɛntnəɹ// noun

"centner" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A unit of weight with different actual definitions in parts of Germany and Scandinavia, typically 100 local pounds.

Corpus desk

Index EN-centner · centner · English

centner · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

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 centner
PropertyValue
Headwordcentner
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɛntnəɹ/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “centner” in English

centnersits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

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

Rare enough to double-check

centner is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsɛntnəɹ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

centner doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Probably from Low German, cp. German Zentner, comparable to the hundredweight. Doublet of centenary, kantar, and quintal. The correct English form is centner, spelled C-E-N-T-N-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A unit of weight with different actual definitions in parts of Germany and Scandinavia, typically 100 local pounds.
  2. 2
    A nonstandard metric unit of weight equal to 100 kilograms, commonly used as an agricultural measure in Eastern Bloc countries (similar to a bushel).

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. In the same year the mining industry of the country produced about 10 lbs. of gold, 2487 lbs. of silver, 43,297 centner copper, 600 centner copper-nickel, 6787 centner lead, 3286 centner brass, 1485 centner nickel-ore, 490,300 centner zinc-ore, 1200 lbs. cobalt-ore, besides quantities of manganese, sulphur, red ochre, vitriol, alum, black-lead, porphyry,…

Etymology

Probably from Low German, cp. German Zentner, comparable to the hundredweight. Doublet of centenary, kantar, and quintal.

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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "centner"?
"centner" is spelled C-E-N-T-N-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛntnəɹ/.
What does "centner" mean?
As a noun, "centner" means: A unit of weight with different actual definitions in parts of Germany and Scandinavia, typically 100 local pounds.
How do you pronounce "centner"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "centner" is /ˈsɛntnəɹ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "centner"?
Probably from Low German, cp. German Zentner, comparable to the hundredweight. Doublet of centenary, kantar, and quintal. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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