Wortlauts

Wortlaut is a German noun meaning the exact wording of a text or utterance, as opposed to its interpretation or summary. It is formed from Wort (word) and Laut (sound, wording). The standard German plural is Wortlaute. The form Wortlauts is not widely accepted in German, though it occasionally appears in English-language writing as an anglicized plural.

In practice, Wortlaut is used in law, journalism, and linguistics to refer to verbatim text. In legal contexts, quoting something "im Wortlaut" means reproducing the language of a statute, contract, or clause word-for-word: Der Wortlaut des Gesetzes lautet … In journalism, presenting the Wortlaut of a speech preserves exact phrasing, while in linguistics researchers may analyze the Wortlaut of utterances to study syntax, pronoun usage, or rhetoric.

Nuances and limits: focusing on Wortlaut preserves fidelity to the original text but can obscure context, tone, or intent. Paraphrase or interpretation is often required to convey meaning more clearly. In copyright, Fair Use, and academic integrity discussions, the relationship between Wortlaut and meaning is a central concern.