# German

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈd͡ʒɜː.mən/ · frequency rank #1,187

## Definitions
1. A native or inhabitant of Germany; a person of German citizenship or nationality.
2. A member of the Germanic ethnic group which is the most populous ethnic group in Germany; a person of German descent.
3. A member of a Germanic tribe.
4. A German wine.
5. A size of type between American and Saxon, 1+¹⁄₂-point type.
6. A Germany-produced car, a “German whip”.
7. A prison warder.

## Etymology
From Latin Germānus, Germānī (“the peoples of Germānia”), as distinct from Gauls (in the writings of Caesar and Tacitus), and of uncertain ultimate origin (possibly Celtic/Gaulish).
Not related to german (“closely related”) or germane (from the Latin adjective germānus, through Old French).
Attested since at least 1520. Replaced the older terms Almain and Dutch (from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz) in English. Besides cognates of German, Almain, and Dutch, two other categories of words for the Germans in other languages are cognates of Saxon and descendants of Proto-Slavic *němьcь; see those entries for more.
The surname is generally from the noun, though sometimes confused with Herman, Hermann under Russian influence. As a German surname, Americanized from Germann. Compare Germán, Germain, Jerman.

## Easily confused with
- **gran** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/german-vs-gran)
- **groan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/german-vs-groan)
- **gunman** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/german-vs-gunman)
- **Gorman** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/german-vs-gorman)
- **Guzman** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/german-vs-guzman)
- **Germany** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/german-vs-germany)
- **Germans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/german-vs-germans)
- **Germanic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/german-vs-germanic)
- **germ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-german)
- **gemma** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gemma-vs-german)
- **Gerda** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gerda-vs-german)
- **Gaiman** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gaiman-vs-german)
- **Germain** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germain-vs-german)
- **Germaine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germaine-vs-german)

## Common misspellings (9)
`egrman`, `gemran`, `geramn`, `germann`, `germman`, `germna`, `gerrman`, `ggerman`, `greman`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/german