Denken

[ˈdɛŋkn̩]

/[ˈdɛŋkn̩]/ noun

The verdict

“Denken” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #501 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#501
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Einstellung zu etwas

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Denken vs denn
50% similar
Denken vs deren
50% similar
Denken vs denkt
50% similar

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

Key facts for Denken
PropertyValue
HeadwordDenken
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈdɛŋkn̩]
Letters6
Frequency rank#501
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Denken” 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). Denken 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 Denken is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈdɛŋkn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #501 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 Denken, with forms such as "ddenken", "deknen", and "denekn". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "denn", "deren", "denkt", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Denken, spelled D-E-N-K-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Einstellung zu etwas
  2. 2
    zielgerichtete geistige Tätigkeit

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddenken,deknen,denekn,denkenn,denkken,denkne,dennken,dneken,ednken

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddenken1deknen2denekn2denkenn1denkken1denkne2dennken1dneken2
Edit distance from "Denken"

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 "Denken"?
"Denken" is spelled D-E-N-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈdɛŋkn̩].
What does "Denken" mean?
As a noun, "Denken" means: Einstellung zu etwas
What words are commonly confused with "Denken"?
"Denken" is commonly confused with "denn", "deren", "denkt". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Denken"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Denken" is [ˈdɛŋkn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Denken" come from?
"Denken" 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 “Denken”

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

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