einschalten

[ˈaɪ̯nˌʃaltn̩]

/[ˈaɪ̯nˌʃaltn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“einschalten” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #9,705 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#9,705
frequency rank, German
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ein Gerät in Betrieb nehmen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

einschalten vs einschätzen
73% similar
einschalten vs einzuhalten
82% similar
einschalten vs einzuschalten
85% similar

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

Key facts for einschalten
PropertyValue
Headwordeinschalten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈaɪ̯nˌʃaltn̩]
Letters11
Frequency rank#9,705
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “einschalten” 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). einschalten 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 einschalten is 11 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈaɪ̯nˌʃaltn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #9,705 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for einschalten, with forms such as "eincshalten", "einnschalten", and "einscahlten". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "einschätzen", "einzuhalten", "einzuschalten", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is einschalten, spelled E-I-N-S-C-H-A-L-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    ein Gerät in Betrieb nehmen
  2. 2
    sich in eine Angelegenheit einmischen
  3. 3
    eine kurze Nachricht in einem Medium dazwischennehmen
  4. 4
    einen bestimmten Sender, ein Programm (im Radio, Fernsehen) empfangen

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eincshalten,einnschalten,einscahlten,einscchalten,einschaletn,einschallten,einschaltenn,einschaltne,einschaltten,einschatlen,einschhalten,einschlaten,einshcalten,einsschalten,eisnchalten,enischalten,ienschalten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eincshalten2einnschalten1einscahlten2einscchalten1einschaletn2einschallten1einschaltenn1einschaltne2
Edit distance from "einschalten"

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 "einschalten"?
"einschalten" is spelled E-I-N-S-C-H-A-L-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaɪ̯nˌʃaltn̩].
What does "einschalten" mean?
As a verb, "einschalten" means: ein Gerät in Betrieb nehmen
What words are commonly confused with "einschalten"?
"einschalten" is commonly confused with "einschätzen", "einzuhalten", "einzuschalten". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "einschalten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "einschalten" is [ˈaɪ̯nˌʃaltn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "einschalten" come from?
"einschalten" 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.

Using “einschalten”

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

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