Alter

[ˈaltɐ]

/[ˈaltɐ]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Alter” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #455 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#455
frequency rank, German
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - alter Mann

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Alter vs Atem
60% similar
Alter vs arte
40% similar
Alter vs Auer
60% similar

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

Key facts for Alter
PropertyValue
HeadwordAlter
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈaltɐ]
Letters5
Frequency rank#455
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Alter” 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). Alter 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 Alter is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈaltɐ]. Corpus data places it at rank #455 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for Alter, with forms such as "aletr", "allter", and "alterr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Atem", "arte", "Auer", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is Alter, spelled A-L-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    alter Mann
  2. 2
    alte Person unbestimmten Geschlechts
  3. 3
    für den Vater
  4. 4
    für den Ehemann oder Lebensgefährten
  5. 5
    für den Vorgesetzten
  6. 6
    Anrede für einen männlichen Gleichaltrigen
  7. 7
    fester Freund (altersunabhängig)

Synonyms

GreisOpaSenioralter HerrVaterChefBossMainmanMannJungeDickerLanBoyfriendOukie

Antonyms

JungeBubKnabeJugendlicherJünglingHeranwachsenderSchatzGöttergatte

This word in other languages

old man(English)viejo(Español)personne âgée(Français)cara(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aletr,allter,alterr,altre,altter,atler

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Alter - 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.

aletr2allter1alterr1altre2altter1atler2
Edit distance from "Alter"

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 "Alter"?
"Alter" is spelled A-L-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaltɐ].
What does "Alter" mean?
As a noun, "Alter" means: alter Mann
What words are commonly confused with "Alter"?
"Alter" is commonly confused with "Atem", "arte", "Auer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Alter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Alter" is [ˈaltɐ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Alter" come from?
"Alter" 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.

Using “Alter”

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

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