brennen

[ˈbʁɛnən]

/[ˈbʁɛnən]/ verb

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

The verdict

“brennen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #5,920 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#5,920
frequency rank, German
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - in Flammen stehen, dem Feuer ausgesetzt sein

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

brennen vs brennt
71% similar
brennen vs bringen
71% similar
brennen vs Brunnen
71% similar

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

Key facts for brennen
PropertyValue
Headwordbrennen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈbʁɛnən]
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,920
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “brennen” 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). brennen 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 brennen is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈbʁɛnən]. Corpus data places it at rank #5,920 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 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 brennen, with forms such as "bbrennen", "bernnen", and "brenen". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "brennt", "bringen", "Brunnen", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is brennen, spelled B-R-E-N-N-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    in Flammen stehen, dem Feuer ausgesetzt sein
  2. 2
    für jemanden/etwas eine Zuneigung empfinden
  3. 3
    brennbar sein
  4. 4
    in Betrieb sein
  5. 5
    Hitze ausstrahlen
  6. 6
    die Haut, Augen oder Schleimhäute reizen
  7. 7
    durch Hitze (meist in einem Ofen) die Eigenschaften verändern
  8. 8
    durch Destillation den Alkoholgehalt eines alkoholischen Getränkes erhöhen
  9. 9
    mit einem Brenner eine Zusammenstellung von Musik- oder anderen Daten auf CD oder DVD archivieren/kopieren
  10. 10
    (Locken) mit einer Brennschere formen

Synonyms

lodernflackernknisternsengenglimmenbörnenfür jemanden Feuer und Flamme seinanleuchtenschmerzenbeißenhärtendestillieren

This word in other languages

burn(English)quemar(Español)brûler(Français)queimar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbrennen,bernnen,brenen,brenenn,brennenn,brennne,brnenen,brrennen,rbennen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of brennen - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

bbrennen1bernnen2brenen1brenenn2brennenn1brennne2brnenen2brrennen1
Edit distance from "brennen"

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 "brennen"?
"brennen" is spelled B-R-E-N-N-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈbʁɛnən].
What does "brennen" mean?
As a verb, "brennen" means: in Flammen stehen, dem Feuer ausgesetzt sein
What words are commonly confused with "brennen"?
"brennen" is commonly confused with "brennt", "bringen", "Brunnen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "brennen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "brennen" is [ˈbʁɛnən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "brennen" come from?
"brennen" 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 “brennen”

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

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