Umlaut

\ˈʊm.laʊ̯t\

/\ˈʊm.laʊ̯t\/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Signe typographique des langues germaniques, d’apparence assez semblable au tréma du français, mais dont l’usage est de modifier le son de la voyelle à laquelle il est attaché.

Corpus desk

Index FR-umlaut · Umlaut · French

Umlaut · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "U" 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 Umlaut
PropertyValue
HeadwordUmlaut
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˈʊm.laʊ̯t\
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « Umlaut » en français

Umlautsiège au-delà des 100.000 formes les plus fréquentes du français, dans la traîne du lexique spécialisé ou peu usité.

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

Rare enough to double-check

Umlaut is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \ˈʊm.laʊ̯t\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Signe typographique des langues germaniques, d’apparence assez semblable au tréma du français, mais dont l’usage est de modifier le son de la voyelle à laquelle il est attaché.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for Umlaut in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is Umlaut, spelled U-M-L-A-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Signe typographique des langues germaniques, d’apparence assez semblable au tréma du français, mais dont l’usage est de modifier le son de la voyelle à laquelle il est attaché.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Wem solte es undeutlich seyn, wenn ich zum Exempel sagte: Aus Strom wird Ströme, und sang aus singen, durch den Umlaut?

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 "Umlaut"?
"Umlaut" is spelled U-M-L-A-U-T. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈʊm.laʊ̯t\.
What does "Umlaut" mean?
As a noun, "Umlaut" means: Signe typographique des langues germaniques, d’apparence assez semblable au tréma du français, mais dont l’usage est de modifier le son de la voyelle à laquelle il est attaché.
How do you pronounce "Umlaut"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Umlaut" is \ˈʊm.laʊ̯t\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Umlaut" come from?
"Umlaut" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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