bereits

[bəˈʁaɪ̯t͡s]

/[bəˈʁaɪ̯t͡s]/ adv

The verdict

“bereits” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #196 in German word frequency and used as an adverb.

#196
frequency rank, German
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - einen relativ frühen Zeitpunkt betreffend, früher als erwartet

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bereits vs breit
71% similar
bereits vs Breite
57% similar
bereits vs Beweis
57% similar

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

Key facts for bereits
PropertyValue
Headwordbereits
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdverb
IPA[bəˈʁaɪ̯t͡s]
Letters7
Frequency rank#196
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bereits” 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). bereits 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 bereits is 7 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [bəˈʁaɪ̯t͡s]. Corpus data places it at rank #196 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for bereits, with forms such as "bbereits", "beerits", and "bereitss". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "breit", "Breite", "Beweis", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is bereits, spelled B-E-R-E-I-T-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    einen relativ frühen Zeitpunkt betreffend, früher als erwartet
  2. 2
    einen relativ späten Zeitpunkt betreffend, mehr als erwartet

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbereits,beerits,bereitss,bereitts,beretis,beriets,berreits,breeits,ebreits

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bereits - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

bbereits1beerits2bereitss1bereitts1beretis2beriets2berreits1breeits2
Edit distance from "bereits"

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 "bereits"?
"bereits" is spelled B-E-R-E-I-T-S. The IPA pronunciation is [bəˈʁaɪ̯t͡s].
What does "bereits" mean?
As an adverb, "bereits" means: einen relativ frühen Zeitpunkt betreffend, früher als erwartet
What words are commonly confused with "bereits"?
"bereits" is commonly confused with "breit", "Breite", "Beweis". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bereits"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bereits" is [bəˈʁaɪ̯t͡s]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bereits" come from?
"bereits" 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 “bereits”

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

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