Graupel
/ˈɡʁaʊ̯pəl/
The German word for sleet is Graupel.
Graupel refers to precipitation consisting of a mixture of rain and snow.
Meaning: precipitation of rain–snow mixture (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡʁaʊ̯pəl/
Did you know?
- The word Graupel is a diminutive, literally meaning 'little hulled grain' due to its resemblance to small, round cereal grains.
- German distinguishes between Graupel, which is soft and grainy, and Hagel, which refers to hard, clear ice pellets.
- Unlike 'sleet' in some English dialects, Graupel refers to a specific white, opaque pellet that forms when supercooled droplets freeze onto a snowflake.
Examples in context
- Heute Morgen hat es in unserer Region stark gegraupelt.This morning, there was heavy sleet in our region.
- Als ich gestern Nachmittag spazieren ging, hatte es die ganze Zeit geschneeregnet!When I went for a walk yesterday afternoon, it was sleeting the whole time!
- Heute gab es hier den ganzen Tag Eisregen. Die Straßen sind spiegelglatt!Today, we had sleet all day here. The roads are extremely slippery!
- Wir haben heute viel Graupel bekommen.We got a lot of sleet today.
Example conversation
Julia and Felix are looking out the window at the weather.
- JuliaSchau mal, es schneit nicht, es ist Graupel.Look, it's not snowing, it's sleet.
- FelixStimmt, das sieht echt unangenehm aus.True, that looks really unpleasant.
- JuliaWir sollten heute nicht spazieren gehen.We should not go for a walk today.
- FelixJa, bleiben wir lieber im Haus.Yes, let's rather stay in the house.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Graupel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Graupel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
