unterfangen

\ˌʊntɐˈfaŋən\

/\ˌʊntɐˈfaŋən\/ verb

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Supporter (un élément d’une construction).

Corpus desk

Index FR-unterfangen · unterfangen · French

unterfangen · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 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 unterfangen
PropertyValue
Headwordunterfangen
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\ˌʊntɐˈfaŋən\
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « unterfangen » en français

unterfangenreste hors des 100.000 mots français les plus fréquents, dans la longue queue du vocabulaire technique, archaïque ou rare, là où le doute d'orthographe frappe.

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

Rare enough to double-check

unterfangen is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed \ˌʊntɐˈfaŋən\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for unterfangen, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is unterfangen, spelled U-N-T-E-R-F-A-N-G-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Supporter (un élément d’une construction).
  2. 2
    Oser à faire une action audacieuse.

Antonyms

überbauenzurückhalten

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 "unterfangen"?
"unterfangen" is spelled U-N-T-E-R-F-A-N-G-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ˌʊntɐˈfaŋən\.
What does "unterfangen" mean?
As a verb, "unterfangen" means: Supporter (un élément d’une construction).
How do you pronounce "unterfangen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unterfangen" is \ˌʊntɐˈfaŋən\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "unterfangen" come from?
"unterfangen" 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