umlaut

Name: umlaut, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈʊm.laʊt/

//ˈʊm.laʊt// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“umlaut” is uncommon English (frequency #91,101 among 23,789 “U” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#91,101
frequency rank, English: 23,789
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An assimilatory process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vocoid that is separated by one or more consonants.

Key facts for umlaut
Property	Value
Headword	umlaut
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈʊm.laʊt/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#91,101
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “umlaut” 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). umlaut lands here:

#91,101

#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

umlaut is uncommon English at frequency #91,101 among 23,789 “U” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈʊm.laʊt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for umlaut, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from German Umlaut in the 19ᵗʰ century, from um- or um (“around, re-, trans-”) + Laut (“sound”), from Old High German hlūt. More at loud. The correct English form is umlaut, spelled U-M-L-A-U-T.

Definition

1
An assimilatory process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vocoid that is separated by one or more consonants.
2
The umlaut process (as above) that occurred historically in Germanic languages whereby back vowels became front vowels when followed by syllable containing a front vocoid (e.g. Germanic lūsiz > Old English lȳs(i) > Modern English lice).
3
A vowel so assimilated.
4
The diacritical mark ( ¨ ) placed over a vowel when it indicates a (rounded) front vowel
5
Synonym of diaeresis.

Etymology

Borrowed from German Umlaut in the 19ᵗʰ century, from um- or um (“around, re-, trans-”) + Laut (“sound”), from Old High German hlūt. More at loud.

Synonyms

tremavowel mutation

This word in other languages

metafonía(Español)métaphonie(Français)Umlaut(Deutsch)trema(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 "umlaut"?

"umlaut" is spelled U-M-L-A-U-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʊm.laʊt/.

What does "umlaut" mean?

As a noun, "umlaut" means: An assimilatory process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vocoid that is separated by one or more consonants.

How do you pronounce "umlaut"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "umlaut" is /ˈʊm.laʊt/. 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 "umlaut"?

Borrowed from German Umlaut in the 19ᵗʰ century, from um- or um (“around, re-, trans-”) + Laut (“sound”), from Old High German hlūt. More at loud. 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 “umlaut”

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

The one correct English spelling is U-M-L-A-U-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈʊm.laʊt/ (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.