sterben

\ˈʃtɛʁbn̩\

/\ˈʃtɛʁbn̩\/ verb

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

The verdict

“sterben” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Mourir.

Key facts for sterben
PropertyValue
Headwordsterben
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\ˈʃtɛʁbn̩\
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sterben” sits in French frequency

sterben falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for sterben is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ˈʃtɛʁbn̩\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for sterben in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is sterben, spelled S-T-E-R-B-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Mourir.
  2. 2
    Mourir de maladie
  3. 3
    Mourir, souffrir de quelque chose.

Synonyms

abkratzenablebenabnippelndahinscheidendaran glauben müssendas Zeitliche segnendem Schöpfer gegenübertretenden Geist aufgebenden Jordan runter gehenden letzten Schnaufer machenden Löffel abgebenden Schöpfer treffendie Augen für immer schließendie Gänseblümchen von unten wachsen sehendie Radieschen von unten betrachtendraufgehenein Zimmer im Würmerhotel mietenentschlafenheimgehenhopsgehenin die ewigen Jagdgründe eingehenin die Grube fallenins Gras beißenkrepierenscheidenüber den Jordan gehenum die Ecke gehenumkommenvergehenverreckenverscheidenversterben

Antonyms

leben

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 "sterben"?
"sterben" is spelled S-T-E-R-B-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈʃtɛʁbn̩\.
What does "sterben" mean?
As a verb, "sterben" means: Mourir.
How do you pronounce "sterben"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sterben" is \ˈʃtɛʁbn̩\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "sterben" come from?
"sterben" 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.

Using “sterben”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is S-T-E-R-B-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈʃtɛʁbn̩\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
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