Wunschdenken

\ˈvʊnʃˌdɛŋkn̩\

/\ˈvʊnʃˌdɛŋkn̩\/ noun

The verdict

“Wunschdenken” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. 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) - Pensée magique, vœux pieux, rêverie(s), attentes irréalistes ; illusion selon laquelle la réalité va se plier à ses désirs.

Corpus desk

Index FR-wunschdenken · Wunschdenken · French

Wunschdenken · 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 "W" 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 Wunschdenken
PropertyValue
HeadwordWunschdenken
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˈvʊnʃˌdɛŋkn̩\
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « Wunschdenken » en français

Wunschdenkensiège 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

Wunschdenken is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \ˈvʊnʃˌdɛŋkn̩\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Pensée magique, vœux pieux, rêverie(s), attentes irréalistes ; illusion selon laquelle la réalité va se plier à ses désirs.".

Zero misspellings are on record for Wunschdenken in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

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 Wunschdenken, spelled W-U-N-S-C-H-D-E-N-K-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pensée magique, vœux pieux, rêverie(s), attentes irréalistes ; illusion selon laquelle la réalité va se plier à ses désirs.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Für die gestresste Demokratie einzutreten hieße in einem ersten Schritt, alles Wunschdenken und Verdrängen aufzugeben. Sich ernsthaft mit den Anliegen von AfD-Wählern auseinanderzusetzen.
  2. Auch wenn die militärische Lage keineswegs verzweifelt ist, waren die Perspektiven selten so ungewiss wie heute. Umso wichtiger sind realistische Kriegsziele statt Wunschdenken. … Doch die Vorstellung, Kiew könnte in absehbarer Zeit erneut genügend Kräfte für eine grosse Offensive sammeln, ist Wunschdenken.

Synonyms

SelbsttäuschungSelbstbetrug

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 "Wunschdenken"?
"Wunschdenken" is spelled W-U-N-S-C-H-D-E-N-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈvʊnʃˌdɛŋkn̩\.
What does "Wunschdenken" mean?
As a noun, "Wunschdenken" means: Pensée magique, vœux pieux, rêverie(s), attentes irréalistes ; illusion selon laquelle la réalité va se plier à ses désirs.
How do you pronounce "Wunschdenken"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Wunschdenken" is \ˈvʊnʃˌdɛŋkn̩\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Wunschdenken" come from?
"Wunschdenken" 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