ehrlich

[ˈeːɐ̯lɪç]

/[ˈeːɐ̯lɪç]/ adj

The verdict

“ehrlich” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,072 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,072
frequency rank, German
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - der Wahrheit und Wirklichkeit entsprechend, nicht gelogen oder vorgetäuscht; wahr

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ehrlich vs Erich
57% similar
ehrlich vs endlich
71% similar
ehrlich vs erblich
71% similar

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

Key facts for ehrlich
PropertyValue
Headwordehrlich
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈeːɐ̯lɪç]
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,072
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ehrlich” 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). ehrlich 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 ehrlich is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈeːɐ̯lɪç]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,072 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for ehrlich, with forms such as "ehhrlich", "ehlrich", and "ehrilch". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "Erich", "endlich", "erblich", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is ehrlich, spelled E-H-R-L-I-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    der Wahrheit und Wirklichkeit entsprechend, nicht gelogen oder vorgetäuscht; wahr
  2. 2
    anständig und fair, nie lügend; redlich

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ehhrlich,ehlrich,ehrilch,ehrlcih,ehrlicch,ehrlichh,ehrlihc,ehrllich,ehrrlich,erhlich,herlich

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ehrlich - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ehhrlich1ehlrich2ehrilch2ehrlcih2ehrlicch1ehrlichh1ehrlihc2ehrllich1
Edit distance from "ehrlich"

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 "ehrlich"?
"ehrlich" is spelled E-H-R-L-I-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈeːɐ̯lɪç].
What does "ehrlich" mean?
As an adjective, "ehrlich" means: der Wahrheit und Wirklichkeit entsprechend, nicht gelogen oder vorgetäuscht; wahr
What words are commonly confused with "ehrlich"?
"ehrlich" is commonly confused with "Erich", "endlich", "erblich". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ehrlich"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ehrlich" is [ˈeːɐ̯lɪç]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ehrlich" come from?
"ehrlich" 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 “ehrlich”

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

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