befummeln

[bəˈfʊml̩n]

/[bəˈfʊml̩n]/ verb

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - etwas prüfend mit den Fingern berühren/anfassen

Corpus desk

Index DE-befummeln · befummeln · German

befummeln · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 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 befummeln
PropertyValue
Headwordbefummeln
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[bəˈfʊml̩n]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „befummeln“ im Deutschen

befummelnsitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

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

Rare enough to double-check

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

No generated misspelling entries exist for befummeln in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is befummeln, spelled B-E-F-U-M-M-E-L-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas prüfend mit den Fingern berühren/anfassen
  2. 2
    jemanden ungebeten sexuell berühren

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. „Einige spielen Mensch ärgere dich nicht, manche sortieren unablässig das Besteck, Herlinde, unsere dauerstrickende Ex-Souffleuse, trennt eine Socke auf und Rollstuhl-Rudi befummelt den Verschluss seines roten Helms.“
  2. „Er befummelte mich überall, und ich wusste nicht mehr, was ich tun sollte. Ich war vorher schon mal begrapscht worden und hatte mitbekommen, dass Männer mir ordinäre Sprüche zuriefen, wenn ich auf der Bühne stand.“

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 "befummeln"?
"befummeln" is spelled B-E-F-U-M-M-E-L-N. The IPA pronunciation is [bəˈfʊml̩n].
What does "befummeln" mean?
As a verb, "befummeln" means: etwas prüfend mit den Fingern berühren/anfassen
How do you pronounce "befummeln"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "befummeln" is [bəˈfʊml̩n]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "befummeln" come from?
"befummeln" 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