List of English Words of German Origin

Are you looking for a list of English words of German origin? If so, you have come to the right place. Some of the words are very Americanized, and you would never be able to tell where they can from. However, a number of them retain hints of their “German-ness” to speak. Even if you have never realized it before, once you take another look at these words, you will most likely see their heritage shining through!

List of English Words of German Origin

The following is a list of English words of German origin, and what the word means in English.

• Abseil (descend by rope)
• Angst (fear, depression, anger)
• Ansatz (entry, mathematical approach)
• Anschluss (connection)
• Automat (machine)
• Bildungsroman (a coming of age story)
• Delicatessen (proper name for a deli)
• Doppelganger (someone’s double, often used in literature)
• Edelweiss (type of flower)
• Fest (feast, celebration, party)
• Gedenkenexperiment (experiment)
• Gelandesprung (ski term)
• Gesundheit (bless you)
• Hinterland (backwoods)
• Kaput (not working, broken)
• Kindergarten (grade before first grade)
• Kitsch (fake art, art mocking something else)
• Kraut (herb, cabbage)
• Leitmotif (theme, often used in literature)
• To plunder (taking goods by force)
• Poltergeist (ghost)
• Realpolitik (political practice)
• Rucksack (backpack)
• Ubermensch (superhuman)
• Wanderlust (pleasure, desire, wanting)
• Wunderkind (child prodigy)
• Liverwurst (type of food)
• Gestapo (police force)
• Noodle (a type of pasta, a pool tool)
• Cobalt (a color)
• Homburg (a felt hat, generally for a man)
• Panzer (a type of German tank)
• Pretzel (of the soft or hard variety)
• Streusel (a dessert type of food)
• Langlauf (cross country running or skiing)
• Sparerib (a breed of meat)
• Kuchen (coffee cakes)
• Stollen (sweet yeast bread)
• Waltz (a formal dance)
• Umlaut (a specific rhetoric device involving vowels)
• Autobahn (an expressway)
• Rucksack (knapsack)
• Meistersinger (member of a certain German guild from the 15th and 16th centuries)
• Vorlage (a skiing position)
• Pitchblende (a mineral)
• Dachshund (breed of dog)
• Haversack (a bag worn over the shoulder)
• Echt (true, genuine)
• Pumpernickel (type of bread)
• Graupel (particulars of snow)
• Spritz (a small amount of something, usually a liquid)
• Seltzer (type of soda)
• Nosh (small amount of food, or to eat a small amount of food)
• Eiderdown (a type of down)
• Bratwurst (a type of food)
• Wagnerian (a follower of composer Richard Wagner)
• Prattle (utter sounds)
• Sauerbraten (a type of food)
• Schnauzer (a breed of dog)
• Gestalt (a psychological term)
• Knapsack (a backpack or book bag)
• Cringle (part of a sail on a boat)
• Lederhosen (leather shorts)
• Einkorn (an ancient type of wheat)
• Feldspar (specific types of minerals)
• Bagel (a type of food)
• Fife (a small type of flute)
• Verboten (forbidden)
• Kohlrabi (type of cabbage)
• Hamster (a small animal)