anstecken

[ˈanˌʃtɛkn̩]

/[ˈanˌʃtɛkn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

“anstecken” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #21,882 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#21,882
frequency rank, German
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas mit einer Nadel oder dergleichen befestigen; auf/an etwas stecken

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

anstecken vs anstehen
78% similar
anstecken vs anstellen
78% similar
anstecken vs ansteigen
78% similar

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

Key facts for anstecken
PropertyValue
Headwordanstecken
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈanˌʃtɛkn̩]
Letters9
Frequency rank#21,882
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “anstecken” 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). anstecken 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 anstecken is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈanˌʃtɛkn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #21,882 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 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 anstecken, with forms such as "annstecken", "ansetcken", and "ansstecken". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "anstehen", "anstellen", "ansteigen", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is anstecken, spelled A-N-S-T-E-C-K-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas mit einer Nadel oder dergleichen befestigen; auf/an etwas stecken
  2. 2
    einen Ring oder dergleichen auf den Finger ziehen
  3. 3
    den Stecker eines elektrischen Geräts oder dergleichen in die (für ihn vorgesehene) Buchse, Steckdose oder dergleichen stecken
  4. 4
    (ein mit einer Flüssigkeit gefülltes Behältnis) durch Anstich öffnen
  5. 5
    zum Brennen bringen; in zerstörerischer Absicht einen Brand verursachen
  6. 6
    seine eigenen Krankheitserreger auf jemanden übertragen, sodass der- oder diejenige ebenfalls erkrankt; die eigene Krankheit an jemanden weitergeben
  7. 7
    von Krankheitserregern (durch den Kontakt mit einer kranken Person) befallen werden und dadurch ebenfalls erkranken
  8. 8
    bei jemandem ähnliche Reaktionen auslösen; leicht auf jemanden überwechseln

Synonyms

aufsteckeneinstöpselnanschlagenanstechenanzapfenanbrennenanfachenanzündenin Brand setzenin Brand steckenentfachenentzündenanmachenzündeninfizierenbekommendavontragensich zuziehensich einfangeneinfangensich einhandelnsich holenkriegensich infizieren

Antonyms

abstecken

This word in other languages

attach(English)poner(Español)attacher(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: annstecken,ansetcken,ansstecken,anstceken,ansteccken,anstecekn,ansteckenn,ansteckken,ansteckne,anstekcen,ansttecken,antsecken,asntecken,nastecken

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

annstecken1ansetcken2ansstecken1anstceken2ansteccken1anstecekn2ansteckenn1ansteckken1
Edit distance from "anstecken"

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 "anstecken"?
"anstecken" is spelled A-N-S-T-E-C-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈanˌʃtɛkn̩].
What does "anstecken" mean?
As a verb, "anstecken" means: etwas mit einer Nadel oder dergleichen befestigen; auf/an etwas stecken
What words are commonly confused with "anstecken"?
"anstecken" is commonly confused with "anstehen", "anstellen", "ansteigen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "anstecken"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "anstecken" is [ˈanˌʃtɛkn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "anstecken" come from?
"anstecken" 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 “anstecken”

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

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