Many English words have been borrowed from German—some are crisp and direct, others a mouthful of consonants and compound logic. From musical terms to everyday slang, German has left its mark on English spelling in ways that are clever, tricky, and sometimes just plain fun. In this 12-question quiz, you’ll test your ability to spot the correct spelling of English words with German roots. Watch out for sneaky double consonants, umlaut-free vowels, and those long compound classics!
Which of these, meaning a school level for young children (literally "children’s garden"), is spelled correctly?
Kindergarden
Kindergarten
Kindergartin
Kindergertan
Which of these, meaning a seasoned sausage, is spelled correctly?
Nockwurst
Knockwurst
Knockvurzt
Knockworst
Which of these, meaning "a backpack or knapsack", is spelled correctly?
Ruksack
Rucksack
Rukesack
Rucksak
Which of these, meaning "a store selling fine foods", is spelled correctly?
Delicatessan
Delicatessen
Delicatesen
Dellicatessen
Which of these, meaning broken or no longer functional, is spelled correctly?
Kaputt
Kaput
Caput
Kaputtt
Which of these, meaning a sudden, overwhelming military attack, is spelled correctly?
Blitzkrieg
Blitskrieg
Blitzcreeg
Blitzcrieg
Which of these, meaning "a type of German sausage (mostly made of pork)", is spelled correctly?
Bratwurst
Brotworst
Bratvurste
Brattworst
Which of these, meaning a child prodigy, is spelled correctly?
Wunderkind
Wünderkind
Vunderkind
Wundarkind
Which of these, which is a word said after someone sneezes, is spelled correctly?
Gesundheit
Gezundheit
Gesunthite
Gazoondheit
Which of these, meaning a noisy ghost or spirit, is spelled correctly?
Poltergeist
Poltergiest
Poultergeist
Poltergyst
Which of these, meaning taking pleasure in another’s misfortune, is spelled correctly?
Shadenfreude
Schadenfreude
Schaddenfreude
Schadenfroide
Which of these, meaning a look-alike or double (especially eerie), is spelled correctly?
Dobbelganger
Doppelgänger
Doppulganger
Dobblegänger
Achtung! It’s time to brush up.
Looks like these Germanic spellings gave you a run for your Geld. Don’t worry—words like Gesundheit and Autobahn can be deceptively tricky. This is your sign to dig into the quirks of borrowed vocabulary and sharpen those spelling skills. You’ll be spelling like a Meister in no time!
You’ve got a decent grip on German-origin words, but a few tripped you up—maybe a rogue “ie” or a sneaky doubled consonant? No shame in that! German loves its rules... and its exceptions. A little more practice and you'll be spelling Doppelgänger without blinking.
Bravo! You’ve clearly got a sharp eye and an ear for the rhythms of German-influenced English. Whether it’s Schadenfreude or Wunderkind, you handled these linguistic curveballs like a true spelling maestro. You probably read dictionaries for fun—or at least enjoy a bratwurst with etymology on the side. Sehr gut!
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4/21/2025
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