Bastelei

[bastəˈlaɪ̯]

/[bastəˈlaɪ̯]/ noun

The verdict

“Bastelei” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Gegenstand, an dem jemand kleinere handwerkliche oder technische Arbeiten vornimmt, um ihn zu verbessern, zu reparieren oder umzugestalten

Corpus desk

Index DE-bastelei · Bastelei · German

Bastelei · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "B" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Bastelei
PropertyValue
HeadwordBastelei
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[bastəˈlaɪ̯]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Bastelei“ im Deutschen

Basteleiliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Bastelei is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [bastəˈlaɪ̯]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for Bastelei in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Bastelei, spelled B-A-S-T-E-L-E-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Gegenstand, an dem jemand kleinere handwerkliche oder technische Arbeiten vornimmt, um ihn zu verbessern, zu reparieren oder umzugestalten
  2. 2
    permanentes und von anderen meist als lästig empfundenes Werkeln an etwas

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Bastelei appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. „Himmeli ist eine aufwendige Bastelei aus Stroh, die in Finnland, Litauen, Lettland, Schweden und in der Ukraine eine beliebte Weihnachtsdekoration darstellt.“
  2. „Wo man es mit ‚armen‘ Baustoffen zu tun hatte, kamen meist architektonisch wenig ansprechende ökologische Experimente heraus – und das Selbstbauen, Reparieren und Umbauen wurde sowieso schnell als krude Bastelei von Aussteigern mit ideologisch eingeschränkter Weltsicht abgetan.“

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Bastelei"?
"Bastelei" is spelled B-A-S-T-E-L-E-I. The IPA pronunciation is [bastəˈlaɪ̯].
What does "Bastelei" mean?
As a noun, "Bastelei" means: Gegenstand, an dem jemand kleinere handwerkliche oder technische Arbeiten vornimmt, um ihn zu verbessern, zu reparieren oder umzugestalten
How do you pronounce "Bastelei"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Bastelei" is [bastəˈlaɪ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Bastelei" come from?
"Bastelei" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list