thalweg

/ˈtaːlvɛç/

//ˈtaːlvɛç// noun

"thalweg" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“thalweg” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The line that connects the lowest points in a valley or river channel, and thus the line of fastest flow or deepest water along a river’s course.

Corpus desk

Index EN-thalweg · thalweg · English

thalweg · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "T" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for thalweg
PropertyValue
Headwordthalweg
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtaːlvɛç/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “thalweg” in English

thalwegfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

thalweg is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtaːlvɛç/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The line that connects the lowest points in a valley or river channel, and thus the line of fastest flow or deepest water along a river’s course.".

No misspelling variants are generated for thalweg in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from 19th century German Thalweg, from Thal (“valley”) + Weg (“way, course”). The correct English form is thalweg, spelled T-H-A-L-W-E-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    The line that connects the lowest points in a valley or river channel, and thus the line of fastest flow or deepest water along a river’s course.

Etymology

Borrowed from 19th century German Thalweg, from Thal (“valley”) + Weg (“way, course”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "thalweg"?
"thalweg" is spelled T-H-A-L-W-E-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtaːlvɛç/.
What does "thalweg" mean?
As a noun, "thalweg" means: The line that connects the lowest points in a valley or river channel, and thus the line of fastest flow or deepest water along a river’s course.
How do you pronounce "thalweg"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "thalweg" is /ˈtaːlvɛç/. 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 "thalweg"?
Borrowed from 19th century German Thalweg, from Thal (“valley”) + Weg (“way, course”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list