eine

[ˈaɪ̯nə]

/[ˈaɪ̯nə]/ det

The verdict

“eine” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #19 in German word frequency and used as a determiner.

#19
frequency rank, German
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - [1] Nominativ Singular Femininum des unbestimmten Artikels ein

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

eine vs en
50% similar
eine vs Eis
25% similar
eine vs eng
50% similar

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

Key facts for eine
PropertyValue
Headwordeine
LanguageGerman
Part of speechDeterminer
IPA[ˈaɪ̯nə]
Letters4
Frequency rank#19
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “eine” 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). eine 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 eine is 4 letters long, classified as a determiner, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈaɪ̯nə]. Corpus data places it at rank #19 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for eine, with forms such as "eien", "einne", and "enie". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "en", "Eis", "eng", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is eine, spelled E-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    [1] Nominativ Singular Femininum des unbestimmten Artikels ein
  2. 2
    [2] Akkusativ Singular Femininum des unbestimmten Artikels ein

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eien,einne,enie,iene

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of eine - 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.

eien2einne1enie2iene2
Edit distance from "eine"

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 "eine"?
"eine" is spelled E-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaɪ̯nə].
What does "eine" mean?
As a determiner, "eine" means: [1] Nominativ Singular Femininum des unbestimmten Artikels ein
What words are commonly confused with "eine"?
"eine" is commonly confused with "en", "Eis", "eng". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "eine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "eine" is [ˈaɪ̯nə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "eine" come from?
"eine" 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 “eine”

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

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