Anker

[ˈaŋkɐ]

/[ˈaŋkɐ]/ noun

The verdict

“Anker” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #11,001 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#11,001
frequency rank, German
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Eisenhaken an einer langen Kette zum Festlegen schwimmender Fahrzeuge am Fluss- oder Meeresboden

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Anker vs anne
40% similar
Anker vs Auer
60% similar
Anker vs Ärger
40% similar

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

Key facts for Anker
PropertyValue
HeadwordAnker
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈaŋkɐ]
Letters5
Frequency rank#11,001
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Anker” 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). Anker 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 Anker is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈaŋkɐ]. Corpus data places it at rank #11,001 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Anker, with forms such as "akner", "anekr", and "ankerr". 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, "anne", "Auer", "Ärger", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Anker, spelled A-N-K-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Eisenhaken an einer langen Kette zum Festlegen schwimmender Fahrzeuge am Fluss- oder Meeresboden
  2. 2
    Schraubenbolzen zum Befestigen von Maschinen auf Fundamenten
  3. 3
    der sich vor einem Elektromagneten drehende Teil eines Apparates oder einer elektrischen Maschine
  4. 4
    ein Bauteil, das eine zugsichere Verbindung (Verankerung) von zwei Bauteilen herstellt
  5. 5
    der Doppelhebel in der Uhr, der das Steigrad hemmt
  6. 6
    früheres Flüssigkeitsmaß: ½ Eimer oder 36 Liter

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: akner,anekr,ankerr,ankker,ankre,annker,naker

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

akner2anekr2ankerr1ankker1ankre2annker1naker2
Edit distance from "Anker"

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 "Anker"?
"Anker" is spelled A-N-K-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaŋkɐ].
What does "Anker" mean?
As a noun, "Anker" means: Eisenhaken an einer langen Kette zum Festlegen schwimmender Fahrzeuge am Fluss- oder Meeresboden
What words are commonly confused with "Anker"?
"Anker" is commonly confused with "anne", "Auer", "Ärger". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Anker"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Anker" is [ˈaŋkɐ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Anker" come from?
"Anker" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “Anker”

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

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