echt

[ɛçt]

/[ɛçt]/ adj

The verdict

“echt” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #394 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#394
frequency rank, German
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - unverfälscht

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

echt vs eh
50% similar
echt vs et
50% similar
echt vs Ehe
25% similar

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

Key facts for echt
PropertyValue
Headwordecht
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ɛçt]
Letters4
Frequency rank#394
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “echt” 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). echt 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 echt is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɛçt]. Corpus data places it at rank #394 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for echt, with forms such as "ceht", "eccht", and "echht". 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, "eh", "et", "Ehe", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is echt, spelled E-C-H-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    unverfälscht
  2. 2
    aufrichtig, wahr
  3. 3
    typisch

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ceht,eccht,echht,echtt,ecth,ehct

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ceht2eccht1echht1echtt1ecth2ehct2
Edit distance from "echt"

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 "echt"?
"echt" is spelled E-C-H-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ɛçt].
What does "echt" mean?
As an adjective, "echt" means: unverfälscht
What words are commonly confused with "echt"?
"echt" is commonly confused with "eh", "et", "Ehe". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "echt"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "echt" is [ɛçt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "echt" come from?
"echt" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “echt”

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

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