German word

Buchstabe

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈbuːxˌʃtaːbə/

Meaning

  • masculine nounletter

Example

Kannst du den zweiten Buchstaben nennen?

Can you name the second letter?

Illustration for Buchstabe (letter)

More examples

Im Passwort darf kein Buchstabe fehlen.

No letter may be missing from the password.

Core concept

A single marked tile in the alphabet, ready to join other tiles into a written word.

Common phrases

  • der erste Buchstabe

    first letter

  • Großbuchstabe

    capital letter

  • ein fehlender Buchstabe

    a missing letter

Similar words

Zeichen: A single letter or symbol used as a mark.
Buchstabieralphabet: A set of assigned words used to spell out letters clearly by phone or radio.
Buchstabenname: The spoken name used to identify a letter, such as the name of A.

Definition in German

Ein einzelnes Zeichen des Alphabets, das in Wörtern als kleinste lautliche oder schriftliche Einheit fungiert.

Word origin

Buchstabe comes from Old High German buohstab, a compound of buoh, 'book', and stab, 'staff' or 'stick'.

Usage tips

  • Buchstabe is masculine, and its plural is Buchstaben; the same ending appears in forms such as den Buchstaben.

Opposites

Related words

  • buchstabierenspellverb
  • Buchstabierungspellingnoun
  • Buchstabiertafelspelling alphabetnoun

Word lists with this word