ersatz
/ˈɛəzæts/
"ersatz" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“ersatz” is uncommon English (frequency #63,602 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #63,602
- frequency rank, English
- 2,246
- “E” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - inauthentic or inadequate substitute or imitation
Corpus desk
Index EN-ersatz · ersatz · English
ersatz · rank #63,602 · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-RARE #63,602
- LEN-LONG 6 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-MID 2,246
- PHOTO-FINISH Eurosceptic
Nearest frequency peer: Eurosceptic (+1 rank slots)
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.
Long-tail ranks near “ersatz”
Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter
- Enniskillen
Enniskillen
36,404 corpus weight
- entendre
entendre
36,403 corpus weight
- enteric
enteric
36,402 corpus weight
- ersatz
ersatz
36,399 corpus weight
- Eurosceptic
Eurosceptic
36,398 corpus weight
- eves
eves
36,396 corpus weight
What this shows Long-tail view: where “ersatz” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.
| 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) |
Long-tail rank of “ersatz” in English
Rare enough to double-check
ersatz is uncommon English at frequency #63,602 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈɛəzæts/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "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
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how ersatz appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Back then, we could only get ersatz coffee.
In these days of “rolled” gold, electro-plate, and undetectable pearls, it is curious that almost the only honest Ersatz material known to the goldsmith's art should be utterly forgotten.
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
How do you spell "ersatz"?
What does "ersatz" mean?
How do you pronounce "ersatz"?
What is the origin of the word "ersatz"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "ersatz", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).