belle

[ˈbɛlə]

/[ˈbɛlə]/ verb

The verdict

“belle” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #14,752 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#14,752
frequency rank, German
5
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs bellen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

belle vs bill
60% similar
belle vs blue
60% similar
belle vs bull
60% similar

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

Key facts for belle
PropertyValue
Headwordbelle
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈbɛlə]
Letters5
Frequency rank#14,752
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “belle” 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). belle 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 belle is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈbɛlə]. Corpus data places it at rank #14,752 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for belle, with forms such as "bbelle", "bele", and "belel". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bill", "blue", "bull", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is belle, spelled B-E-L-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs bellen
  2. 2
    1. Person Singular Konjunktiv I Präsens Aktiv des Verbs bellen
  3. 3
    3. Person Singular Konjunktiv I Präsens Aktiv des Verbs bellen
  4. 4
    2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs bellen

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbelle,bele,belel,blele,eblle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbelle1bele1belel2blele2eblle2
Edit distance from "belle"

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 "belle"?
"belle" is spelled B-E-L-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈbɛlə].
What does "belle" mean?
As a verb, "belle" means: 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs bellen
What words are commonly confused with "belle"?
"belle" is commonly confused with "bill", "blue", "bull". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "belle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "belle" is [ˈbɛlə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "belle" come from?
"belle" 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 “belle”

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

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