Bär

[bɛːɐ̯]

/[bɛːɐ̯]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Bär” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #7,023 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,023
frequency rank, German
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Tier (Raubtier, Säugetier) aus der Familie Ursidae

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Bär vs be
0% similar
Bär vs by
0% similar
Bär vs Br
67% similar

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

Key facts for Bär
PropertyValue
HeadwordBär
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[bɛːɐ̯]
Letters3
Frequency rank#7,023
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Bär” 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). Bär 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 Bär is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [bɛːɐ̯]. Corpus data places it at rank #7,023 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Bär doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "be", "by", "Br", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Bär, spelled B-Ä-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Tier (Raubtier, Säugetier) aus der Familie Ursidae
  2. 2
    Kuscheltier in Gestalt eines Bären ^([1])
  3. 3
    Sternbild des Nordhimmels
  4. 4
    Schambehaarung der Frau
  5. 5
    Nachtfalter aus der Familie Arctiidae
  6. 6
    ein Wappentier
  7. 7
    männliches Murmeltier
  8. 8
    Schwuler oder bisexueller Mann mit starker Körperbehaarung und ausgeprägtem Barthaar

This word in other languages

bear(English)oso(Español)ours(Français)ursinho(Português)

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 "Bär"?
"Bär" is spelled B-Ä-R. The IPA pronunciation is [bɛːɐ̯].
What does "Bär" mean?
As a noun, "Bär" means: Tier (Raubtier, Säugetier) aus der Familie Ursidae
What words are commonly confused with "Bär"?
"Bär" is commonly confused with "be", "by", "Br". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Bär"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Bär" is [bɛːɐ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Bär" come from?
"Bär" 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 “Bär”

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

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