arbeiten

[ˈaʁbaɪ̯tn̩]

/[ˈaʁbaɪ̯tn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

“arbeiten” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #348 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#348
frequency rank, German
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - geistig oder körperlich tätig sein, zielstrebig handeln, um so ein Ergebnis zu erzielen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

arbeiten vs arbeitet
88% similar
arbeiten vs Arbeiter
75% similar
arbeiten vs arbeitete
78% similar

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

Key facts for arbeiten
PropertyValue
Headwordarbeiten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈaʁbaɪ̯tn̩]
Letters8
Frequency rank#348
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “arbeiten” 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). arbeiten 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 arbeiten is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈaʁbaɪ̯tn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #348 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for arbeiten, with forms such as "abreiten", "arbbeiten", and "arbeietn". 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 13 confusable-pair relationships, "arbeitet", "Arbeiter", "arbeitete", 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 any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is arbeiten, spelled A-R-B-E-I-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    geistig oder körperlich tätig sein, zielstrebig handeln, um so ein Ergebnis zu erzielen
  2. 2
    in Betrieb sein, zum Beispiel einer Maschine oder Anlage
  3. 3
    gedanklich beschäftigen, ein innerer mit Gefühlen verbundender Prozess
  4. 4
    Holz oder anderes Material: sich im Wechsel von Temperatur und Feuchtigkeit verformen
  5. 5
    in einem Beschäftigungsverhältnis stehen, erwerbstätig sein

Synonyms

ackernbarabernhandelnhackelnmalochenrabottenrackernschaffenschuftenbetätigenwerkelnwerkenwirkenfunktionierengehenlaufenfunzengärenrumoren

Antonyms

erholenfaulenzenruhendefektkaputtausgestellt seinabgestellt sein

This word in other languages

work(English)trabajar(Español)travailler(Français)trabalhar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abreiten,arbbeiten,arbeietn,arbeitenn,arbeitne,arbeitten,arbetien,arbieten,arebiten,arrbeiten,rabeiten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abreiten2arbbeiten1arbeietn2arbeitenn1arbeitne2arbeitten1arbetien2arbieten2
Edit distance from "arbeiten"

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 "arbeiten"?
"arbeiten" is spelled A-R-B-E-I-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaʁbaɪ̯tn̩].
What does "arbeiten" mean?
As a verb, "arbeiten" means: geistig oder körperlich tätig sein, zielstrebig handeln, um so ein Ergebnis zu erzielen
What words are commonly confused with "arbeiten"?
"arbeiten" is commonly confused with "arbeitet", "Arbeiter", "arbeitete". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "arbeiten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "arbeiten" is [ˈaʁbaɪ̯tn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "arbeiten" come from?
"arbeiten" 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 “arbeiten”

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

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