zärtlich

\ˈʦɛːɐ̯tlɪç\

/\ˈʦɛːɐ̯tlɪç\/ adj

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Tendre, affectueux, câlin, caressant.

Corpus desk

Index FR-zartlich · zärtlich · French

zärtlich · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "Z" 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 zärtlich
PropertyValue
Headwordzärtlich
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\ˈʦɛːɐ̯tlɪç\
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « zärtlich » en français

zärtlichreste 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

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

zärtlich has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is zärtlich, spelled Z-Ä-R-T-L-I-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Tendre, affectueux, câlin, caressant.
  2. 2
    Doux, attentif, prévenant.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. 'Zärtliche Worte, Blicke, Augen, ein zärtliches Lächeln. - Des paroles, des regards, des yeux, un sourire plein(e)s de tendresse
  2. Es geht (...) vielen Paaren irgendwann so: Aus leidenschaftlichen Zungenküssen werden gehauchte Abschieds- und Begrüßungsküsschen oder zärtliche Küsse auf die Stirn.

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 "zärtlich"?
"zärtlich" is spelled Z-Ä-R-T-L-I-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈʦɛːɐ̯tlɪç\.
What does "zärtlich" mean?
As an adjective, "zärtlich" means: Tendre, affectueux, câlin, caressant.
How do you pronounce "zärtlich"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zärtlich" is \ˈʦɛːɐ̯tlɪç\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "zärtlich" come from?
"zärtlich" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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