schwerfällig

\ˈʃveːɐ̯ˌfɛlɪç\

/\ˈʃveːɐ̯ˌfɛlɪç\/ adj

The verdict

“schwerfällig” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Lent, lourd, lourdingue, lourdaud.

Corpus desk

Index FR-schwerfallig · schwerfällig · French

schwerfällig · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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 schwerfällig
PropertyValue
Headwordschwerfällig
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\ˈʃveːɐ̯ˌfɛlɪç\
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « schwerfällig » en français

schwerfällign'entre pas dans le top 100.000 du français: zone de termes techniques, archaïques ou rares.

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

Rare enough to double-check

schwerfällig is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed \ˈʃveːɐ̯ˌfɛlɪç\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Lent, lourd, lourdingue, lourdaud.".

No misspelling variants are generated for schwerfällig in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is schwerfällig, spelled S-C-H-W-E-R-F-Ä-L-L-I-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lent, lourd, lourdingue, lourdaud.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Einmal am Tag setzt man ihm eine Insulin-Spritze, obwohl er keinen Diabetes hat, um ihn das Leben zu lehren und ihn ruhigzustellen. Es stellt ihn auch tatsächlich ruhig. Er wird schwerfällig, aufgedunsen und schwammig, er spürt, dass sein unterzuckertes Gehirn auf dem letzten Loch pfeift und dass er noch nicht einmal mehr die Kraft hat aufzubegehren.
  2. Der Verfasser dieser Beiträge aus Chile aber schreibt nicht nur schwerfällig, sondern auch grammatikalisch falsch.

Synonyms

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 "schwerfällig"?
"schwerfällig" is spelled S-C-H-W-E-R-F-Ä-L-L-I-G. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈʃveːɐ̯ˌfɛlɪç\.
What does "schwerfällig" mean?
As an adjective, "schwerfällig" means: Lent, lourd, lourdingue, lourdaud.
How do you pronounce "schwerfällig"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schwerfällig" is \ˈʃveːɐ̯ˌfɛlɪç\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "schwerfällig" come from?
"schwerfällig" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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