alten

[ˈaltn̩]

/[ˈaltn̩]/ adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“alten” has 7 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #416. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#416
frequency rank, German
6,976
“A” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs alt

Corpus desk

Index DE-alten · alten · German

alten · rank #416 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #416
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,976
  • PHOTO-FINISH Wasser

Nearest frequency peer: Wasser (-1 rank slots)

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “alten”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “alten” sits against the nearest ranked German headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

alten vs Atem
40% similar
alten vs arte
60% similar
alten vs amen
60% similar

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

Key facts for alten
PropertyValue
Headwordalten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈaltn̩]
Letters5
Frequency rank#416
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “alten” 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).alten lands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around alten (IPA [ˈaltn̩]), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #416 among 6,976 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 20 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for alten, with forms such as "aletn", "allten", and "altenn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Atem", "arte", "amen", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is alten, spelled A-L-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  2. 2
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  3. 3
    Genitiv Singular Neutrum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  4. 4
    Dativ Plural der starken Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  5. 5
    Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  6. 6
    Dativ Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  7. 7
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  8. 8
    Genitiv Singular Femininum der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  9. 9
    Dativ Singular Femininum der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  10. 10
    Genitiv Singular Neutrum der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  11. 11
    Dativ Singular Neutrum der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  12. 12
    Plural der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  13. 13
    Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  14. 14
    Dativ Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  15. 15
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  16. 16
    Genitiv Singular Femininum der gemischten Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  17. 17
    Dativ Singular Femininum der gemischten Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  18. 18
    Genitiv Singular Neutrum der gemischten Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  19. 19
    Dativ Singular Neutrum der gemischten Flexion des Adjektivs alt
  20. 20
    Plural der gemischten Flexion des Adjektivs alt

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aletn
  • allten
  • altenn
  • altne
  • altten
  • atlen
  • laten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aletn2allten1altenn1altne2altten1atlen2laten2
Edit distance from "alten"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "alten"?
"alten" is spelled A-L-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaltn̩].
What does "alten" mean?
As an adjective, "alten" means: Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs alt
What words are commonly confused with "alten"?
"alten" is commonly confused with "Atem", "arte", "amen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "alten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "alten" is [ˈaltn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "alten" come from?
"alten" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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.

Similar German words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "alten", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked German headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Junge#419Musik#412aller#425Abend#405

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

finde7 variantszeigt7 variantsMänner7 variantsgenug7 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "alten". Here's where to go from here.

  • "alten" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "Atem". View pair
  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #416 among German headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more German words in the "A" letter cohort. A–Z browse

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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