eher
[ˈeːɐ]
The verdict
“eher” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #408 in German word frequency and used as an adverb.
- #408
- frequency rank, German
- 4
- letters
- 3
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - zu einem früheren Zeitpunkt
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | eher |
| Language | German |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | [ˈeːɐ] |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #408 |
| Misspellings tracked | 3 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “eher” sits in German frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The German entry for eher is 4 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈeːɐ]. Corpus data places it at rank #408 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 3 likely wrong-spelling variants for eher, with forms such as "eehr", "eherr", and "ehher". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "er", "eye", "eve", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Our source data has no etymology on file 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 eher, spelled E-H-E-R.
Definition
- 1zu einem früheren Zeitpunkt
- 2Einleitung einer bevorzugten Alternative in emotional negativ besetzten Kontexten
- 3größere Wahrscheinlichkeit bei sehr unwahrscheinlichen Ereignissen
- 4betont die persönliche, subjektive Beurteilung eines Sachverhalts; zu einer Formulierung tendierend
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: eehr,eherr,ehher
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of eher - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “eher”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct German spelling is E-H-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [ˈeːɐ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “er” - see the side-by-side comparison. eher vs er
- 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.