dreierlei

[ˈdʁaɪ̯ɐlaɪ̯]

/[ˈdʁaɪ̯ɐlaɪ̯]/ pron

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

The verdict

“dreierlei” is uncommon German (frequency #91,488 among 45,632 “D” headwords), classed as a pronoun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#91,488
frequency rank, German
45,632
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - von drei unterschiedlicher Art

Key facts for dreierlei
PropertyValue
Headworddreierlei
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPronoun
IPA[ˈdʁaɪ̯ɐlaɪ̯]
Letters9
Frequency rank#91,488
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dreierlei” 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). dreierlei lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dreierlei is uncommon German at frequency #91,488 among 45,632 “D” headwords, classed as apronoun, transcribed [ˈdʁaɪ̯ɐlaɪ̯]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "von drei unterschiedlicher Art".

No generated misspelling entries exist for dreierlei in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is dreierlei, spelled D-R-E-I-E-R-L-E-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    von drei unterschiedlicher Art

This word in other languages

three(English)

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 "dreierlei"?
"dreierlei" is spelled D-R-E-I-E-R-L-E-I. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈdʁaɪ̯ɐlaɪ̯].
What does "dreierlei" mean?
As a pronoun, "dreierlei" means: von drei unterschiedlicher Art
How do you pronounce "dreierlei"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dreierlei" is [ˈdʁaɪ̯ɐlaɪ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "dreierlei" come from?
"dreierlei" 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 “dreierlei”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is D-R-E-I-E-R-L-E-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈdʁaɪ̯ɐlaɪ̯] (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

Other uncommon German words near this rank

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