schnitzel

/ˈʃnɪt.s(ə)l/

//ˈʃnɪt.s(ə)l// noun

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

"schnitzel" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“schnitzel” is uncommon English (frequency #60,447 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,447
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A dish consisting of fried veal cutlet.

Corpus desk

Index EN-schnitzel · schnitzel · English

schnitzel · rank #60,447 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #60,447
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Schenck

Nearest frequency peer: Schenck (-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 “schnitzel”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for schnitzel
PropertyValue
Headwordschnitzel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʃnɪt.s(ə)l/
Letters9
Frequency rank#60,447
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “schnitzel” 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).schnitzelfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Schenck” (#60,446), “scratcher” (#60,448), “Sava” (#60,444). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “schnitzel” is #60,447. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

schnitzel is uncommon English at frequency #60,447 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈʃnɪt.s(ə)l/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for schnitzel, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unadapted borrowing from German Schnitzel (“cutlet”). The correct English form is schnitzel, spelled S-C-H-N-I-T-Z-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A dish consisting of fried veal cutlet.
  2. 2
    A Germanic dish of breaded and deep-fried meat cutlet.
  3. 3
    A cutlet from this dish.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There are, of course, many other types of Schnitzels and related veal specialties.
  2. Repeat, adding more oil to the pan as needed, until all the schnitzel are cooked.

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from German Schnitzel (“cutlet”).

This word in other languages

milanesa(Español)schnitzel(Français)

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 "schnitzel"?
"schnitzel" is spelled S-C-H-N-I-T-Z-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃnɪt.s(ə)l/.
What does "schnitzel" mean?
As a noun, "schnitzel" means: A dish consisting of fried veal cutlet.
How do you pronounce "schnitzel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schnitzel" is /ˈʃnɪt.s(ə)l/. 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 "schnitzel"?
Unadapted borrowing from German Schnitzel (“cutlet”). 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 "schnitzel", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

scratcher#60,448shapeless#60,458Ridgewood#60,426shortcake#60,468

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list