ein-

[ˈaɪ̯n-]

/[ˈaɪ̯n-]/ prefix

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

The verdict

“ein-” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a prefix. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - Wortbildungselement mit der Bedeutung in … hinein, nach innen

Corpus desk

Index DE-ein · ein- · German

ein- · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for ein-
PropertyValue
Headwordein-
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPrefix
IPA[ˈaɪ̯n-]
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ein-” sits in German frequency

ein- falls outside the top-100,000 ranked German words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ein- is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as aprefix, transcribed [ˈaɪ̯n-]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for ein- in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is ein-, spelled E-I-N--.

Definition

  1. 1
    Wortbildungselement mit der Bedeutung in … hinein, nach innen
  2. 2
    Wortbildungselement mit der Bedeutung der Veränderung eines Zustandes bis hin zur Zerstörung
  3. 3
    Wortbildungselement mit der Betonung der Eindringlichkeit
  4. 4
    Wortbildungselement mit der Bedeutung der Einhüllung in etwas

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how ein- appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Ich arbeite mich gerade ein.
  2. Auf der Rückseite ist ein Name eingraviert.

Antonyms

aus-

This word in other languages

in(English)en-(Français)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ein-"?
"ein-" is spelled E-I-N--. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaɪ̯n-].
What does "ein-" mean?
As a prefix, "ein-" means: Wortbildungselement mit der Bedeutung in … hinein, nach innen
How do you pronounce "ein-"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ein-" is [ˈaɪ̯n-]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ein-" come from?
"ein-" 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.

What to do next

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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