constrain
[kənˈstreɪn]
The verdict
“constrain” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency German
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas einschränken, erzwingen, bremsen, einengen, (behindern, hemmen)
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | constrain |
| Language | German |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | [kənˈstreɪn] |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “constrain” sits in German frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The German entry for constrain is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [kənˈstreɪn]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Zero misspellings are on record for constrain in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is constrain, spelled C-O-N-S-T-R-A-I-N.
Definition
- 1etwas einschränken, erzwingen, bremsen, einengen, (behindern, hemmen)
- 2jemandem etwas vorschreiben, jemanden zwingen, (in seiner Freiheit) einschränken, (nötigen)
- 3inhaftieren; jemanden in Haft nehmen
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
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Using “constrain”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct German spelling is C-O-N-S-T-R-A-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [kənˈstreɪn] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.