abgrenzen

[ˈapˌɡʁɛnt͡sn̩]

/[ˈapˌɡʁɛnt͡sn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“abgrenzen” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #29,454 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#29,454
frequency rank, German
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - einen Teil von einem anderen Teil abtrennen (auch übertragen)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

abgrenzen vs abtrennen
78% similar
abgrenzen vs Abgrenzung
70% similar
abgrenzen vs abzugrenzen
82% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for abgrenzen
PropertyValue
Headwordabgrenzen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈapˌɡʁɛnt͡sn̩]
Letters9
Frequency rank#29,454
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “abgrenzen” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). abgrenzen lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for abgrenzen is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈapˌɡʁɛnt͡sn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #29,454 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for abgrenzen, with forms such as "abbgrenzen", "abgernzen", and "abggrenzen". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "abtrennen", "Abgrenzung", "abzugrenzen", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is abgrenzen, spelled A-B-G-R-E-N-Z-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    einen Teil von einem anderen Teil abtrennen (auch übertragen)
  2. 2
    die Unterschiede von Dingen herausarbeiten
  3. 3
    sich von anderen Personen unterscheiden, sich von anderen Personen und Dingen distanzieren

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbgrenzen,abgernzen,abggrenzen,abgrenezn,abgrennzen,abgrenzenn,abgrenzne,abgrenzzen,abgreznen,abgrnezen,abgrrenzen,abrgenzen,agbrenzen,bagrenzen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of abgrenzen - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

abbgrenzen1abgernzen2abggrenzen1abgrenezn2abgrennzen1abgrenzenn1abgrenzne2abgrenzzen1
Edit distance from "abgrenzen"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "abgrenzen"?
"abgrenzen" is spelled A-B-G-R-E-N-Z-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈapˌɡʁɛnt͡sn̩].
What does "abgrenzen" mean?
As a verb, "abgrenzen" means: einen Teil von einem anderen Teil abtrennen (auch übertragen)
What words are commonly confused with "abgrenzen"?
"abgrenzen" is commonly confused with "abtrennen", "Abgrenzung", "abzugrenzen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "abgrenzen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abgrenzen" is [ˈapˌɡʁɛnt͡sn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "abgrenzen" come from?
"abgrenzen" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “abgrenzen”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is A-B-G-R-E-N-Z-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈapˌɡʁɛnt͡sn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “abtrennen” - see the side-by-side comparison. abgrenzen vs abtrennen
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list