Dunkeln

[ˈdʊŋkl̩n]

/[ˈdʊŋkl̩n]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Dunkeln” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #7,456 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,456
frequency rank, German
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Dunkeln vs dunkle
57% similar
Dunkeln vs dünnen
43% similar
Dunkeln vs dunklen
57% similar

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

Key facts for Dunkeln
PropertyValue
HeadwordDunkeln
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈdʊŋkl̩n]
Letters7
Frequency rank#7,456
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Dunkeln” 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). Dunkeln 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 Dunkeln is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈdʊŋkl̩n]. Corpus data places it at rank #7,456 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 20 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for Dunkeln, with forms such as "ddunkeln", "dnukeln", and "dukneln". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "dunkle", "dünnen", "dunklen", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is Dunkeln, spelled D-U-N-K-E-L-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  2. 2
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  3. 3
    Genitiv Singular Neutrum der starken Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  4. 4
    Dativ Plural der starken Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  5. 5
    Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  6. 6
    Dativ Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  7. 7
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  8. 8
    Genitiv Singular Femininum der schwachen Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  9. 9
    Dativ Singular Femininum der schwachen Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  10. 10
    Genitiv Singular Neutrum der schwachen Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  11. 11
    Dativ Singular Neutrum der schwachen Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  12. 12
    Plural der schwachen Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  13. 13
    Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  14. 14
    Dativ Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  15. 15
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  16. 16
    Genitiv Singular Femininum der gemischten Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  17. 17
    Dativ Singular Femininum der gemischten Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  18. 18
    Genitiv Singular Neutrum der gemischten Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  19. 19
    Dativ Singular Neutrum der gemischten Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
  20. 20
    Plural der gemischten Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddunkeln,dnukeln,dukneln,dunekln,dunkelln,dunkelnn,dunkenl,dunkkeln,dunnkeln,udnkeln

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddunkeln1dnukeln2dukneln2dunekln2dunkelln1dunkelnn1dunkenl2dunkkeln1
Edit distance from "Dunkeln"

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 "Dunkeln"?
"Dunkeln" is spelled D-U-N-K-E-L-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈdʊŋkl̩n].
What does "Dunkeln" mean?
As a noun, "Dunkeln" means: Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Substantivs Dunkles
What words are commonly confused with "Dunkeln"?
"Dunkeln" is commonly confused with "dunkle", "dünnen", "dunklen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Dunkeln"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Dunkeln" is [ˈdʊŋkl̩n]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Dunkeln" come from?
"Dunkeln" 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 “Dunkeln”

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

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