ersatz
/ˈɛəzæts/
"ersatz" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“ersatz” is an uncommon English word, ranked #63,602 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #63,602
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - inauthentic or inadequate substitute or imitation
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | ersatz |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈɛəzæts/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #63,602 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “ersatz” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for ersatz is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɛəzæts/. Corpus data places it at rank #63,602 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "inauthentic or inadequate substitute or imitation".
Zero misspellings are on record for ersatz in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from German Ersatz (“replacement”); and from the German ersetzen (“to replace”, verb). The correct English form is ersatz, spelled E-R-S-A-T-Z.
Definition
- 1inauthentic or inadequate substitute or imitation
Etymology
Borrowed from German Ersatz (“replacement”); and from the German ersetzen (“to replace”, verb).
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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “ersatz”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-R-S-A-T-Z - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɛəzæts/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.