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 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,447
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A dish consisting of fried veal cutlet.

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)

Where “schnitzel” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). schnitzel lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

schnitzel is uncommon English at frequency #60,447 among 54,294 “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.

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.

Using “schnitzel”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-C-H-N-I-T-Z-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈʃnɪt.s(ə)l/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list