schadenfreude

/ˈʃɑː.dənˌfɹɔɪ.də/

//ˈʃɑː.dənˌfɹɔɪ.də// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"schadenfreude" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“schadenfreude” is uncommon English (frequency #57,701 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,701
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Malicious enjoyment derived from observing someone else's misfortune.

Corpus desk

Index EN-schadenfreude · schadenfreude · English

schadenfreude · rank #57,701 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #57,701
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Schaumburg

Nearest frequency peer: Schaumburg (+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 “schadenfreude”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “schadenfreude” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for schadenfreude
PropertyValue
Headwordschadenfreude
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʃɑː.dənˌfɹɔɪ.də/
Letters13
Frequency rank#57,701
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “schadenfreude” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).schadenfreudefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Schaumburg” (#57,702), “Schleswig” (#57,703), “Scania” (#57,698). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “schadenfreude” is #57,701. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

schadenfreude is uncommon English at frequency #57,701 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈʃɑː.dənˌfɹɔɪ.də/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Malicious enjoyment derived from observing someone else's misfortune.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for schadenfreude, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: An unadapted borrowing from German Schadenfreude (“joy in the misfortune of others”), from Schaden (“damage, misfortune”) + Freude (“joy”). The word gained popularity in English in the late 20th c. and likely entered mainstream usage through an episode of T… The correct English form is schadenfreude, spelled S-C-H-A-D-E-N-F-R-E-U-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Malicious enjoyment derived from observing someone else's misfortune.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. But it is Schadenfreude, a mischievous delight in the misfortunes of others, which remains the worst trait in human nature.

Etymology

An unadapted borrowing from German Schadenfreude (“joy in the misfortune of others”), from Schaden (“damage, misfortune”) + Freude (“joy”). The word gained popularity in English in the late 20th c. and likely entered mainstream usage through an episode of The Simpsons (more in citations).

This word in other languages

regodeo(Español)joie maligne(Français)Schadenfreude(Deutsch)Schadenfreude(Português)

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 "schadenfreude"?
"schadenfreude" is spelled S-C-H-A-D-E-N-F-R-E-U-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃɑː.dənˌfɹɔɪ.də/.
What does "schadenfreude" mean?
As a noun, "schadenfreude" means: Malicious enjoyment derived from observing someone else's misfortune.
How do you pronounce "schadenfreude"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schadenfreude" is /ˈʃɑː.dənˌfɹɔɪ.də/. 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 "schadenfreude"?
An unadapted borrowing from German Schadenfreude (“joy in the misfortune of others”), from Schaden (“damage, misfortune”) + Freude (“joy”). The word gained popularity in English in the late 20th c. and likely entered mainstream usage through an ep... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "schadenfreude", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

transgendered#57,779uncircumcised#57,797underemployed#57,798anticoagulant#57,856

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list