zunächst

\t͡suˈnɛːçst\

/\t͡suˈnɛːçst\/ adv

The verdict

“zunächst” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. 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) - Premièrement, en premier, d’abord.

Corpus desk

Index FR-zunachst · zunächst · French

zunächst · 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 zunächst
PropertyValue
Headwordzunächst
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdverb
IPA\t͡suˈnɛːçst\
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « zunächst » en français

zunächstsiège 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

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

Zero misspellings are on record for zunächst in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

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 zunächst, spelled Z-U-N-Ä-C-H-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Premièrement, en premier, d’abord.
  2. 2
    À première vue.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Behandeln wir zunächst die Symptome des Problems, später dessen Ursache.
  2. (Die Libido), meint (Freud), entwickelt sich zunächst bei den Geschlechtern auf die gleiche Weise: alle Kinder machen eine orale Phase durch, die sie auf die Mutterbrust fixiert, dann eine anale Phase, und schließlich erreichen sie die genitale Phase. An diesem Punkt differenzieren sie sich.

Synonyms

Antonyms

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 "zunächst"?
"zunächst" is spelled Z-U-N-Ä-C-H-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is \t͡suˈnɛːçst\.
What does "zunächst" mean?
As an adverb, "zunächst" means: Premièrement, en premier, d’abord.
How do you pronounce "zunächst"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zunächst" is \t͡suˈnɛːçst\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "zunächst" come from?
"zunächst" 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