alpha

[alfa]

/[alfa]/ noun

The verdict

“alpha” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #6,889 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,889
frequency rank, German
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - erster Buchstabe des griechischen Alphabets; Alpha

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

alpha vs apa
60% similar
alpha vs Alta
40% similar
alpha vs alpin
60% similar

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

Key facts for alpha
PropertyValue
Headwordalpha
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[alfa]
Letters5
Frequency rank#6,889
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “alpha” 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). alpha 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 alpha is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [alfa]. Corpus data places it at rank #6,889 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "erster Buchstabe des griechischen Alphabets; Alpha".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for alpha, with forms such as "alhpa", "allpha", and "alpah". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "apa", "Alta", "alpin", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is alpha, spelled A-L-P-H-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    erster Buchstabe des griechischen Alphabets; Alpha

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: alhpa,allpha,alpah,alphha,alppha,aplha,lapha

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of alpha - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

alhpa2allpha1alpah2alphha1alppha1aplha2lapha2
Edit distance from "alpha"

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 "alpha"?
"alpha" is spelled A-L-P-H-A. The IPA pronunciation is [alfa].
What does "alpha" mean?
As a noun, "alpha" means: erster Buchstabe des griechischen Alphabets; Alpha
What words are commonly confused with "alpha"?
"alpha" is commonly confused with "apa", "Alta", "alpin". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "alpha"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "alpha" is [alfa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "alpha" come from?
"alpha" 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 “alpha”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is A-L-P-H-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [alfa] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “apa” - see the side-by-side comparison. alpha vs apa
  • 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