deceive

[dɪˈsiːv]

/[dɪˈsiːv]/ verb

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - belügen, anlügen, täuschen, betrügen, jemandem etwas vormachen

Corpus desk

Index DE-deceive · deceive · German

deceive · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" 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 deceive
PropertyValue
Headworddeceive
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[dɪˈsiːv]
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „deceive“ im Deutschen

deceiveschafft es nicht in die Top 100.000 des Deutschen: Zone für Fach-, Alt- oder Seltenwortschatz.

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

Rare enough to double-check

deceive is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [dɪˈsiːv]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for deceive, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is deceive, spelled D-E-C-E-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    belügen, anlügen, täuschen, betrügen, jemandem etwas vormachen
  2. 2
    sich selbst täuschen, etwas vormachen
  3. 3
    betrügen
  4. 4
    betrügen (durch Fremdgehen oder „einen Seitensprung machen“)

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. You can't pass exams without working, so don't deceive yourself (into thinking you can).
  2. It may be possible to deceive men, but one cannot deceive the gods.

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 "deceive"?
"deceive" is spelled D-E-C-E-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is [dɪˈsiːv].
What does "deceive" mean?
As a verb, "deceive" means: belügen, anlügen, täuschen, betrügen, jemandem etwas vormachen
How do you pronounce "deceive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deceive" is [dɪˈsiːv]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "deceive" come from?
"deceive" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list