empfehlen

[ɛmˈp͡feːlən]

/[ɛmˈp͡feːlən]/ verb

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

The verdict

“empfehlen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,808 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,808
frequency rank, German
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - jemanden/etwas als vorteilhaft, geeignet, zuverlässig infrage kommend benennen; jemandem anraten, sich für jemanden beziehungsweise etwas zu entscheiden

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

empfehlen vs empfohlen
89% similar
empfehlen vs Empfehlung
70% similar
empfehlen vs empfohlene
80% similar

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

Key facts for empfehlen
PropertyValue
Headwordempfehlen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ɛmˈp͡feːlən]
Letters9
Frequency rank#1,808
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “empfehlen” 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). empfehlen 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 empfehlen is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɛmˈp͡feːlən]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,808 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for empfehlen, with forms such as "emfpehlen", "emmpfehlen", and "empefhlen". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "empfohlen", "Empfehlung", "empfohlene", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is empfehlen, spelled E-M-P-F-E-H-L-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    jemanden/etwas als vorteilhaft, geeignet, zuverlässig infrage kommend benennen; jemandem anraten, sich für jemanden beziehungsweise etwas zu entscheiden
  2. 2
    in Höflichkeitsformeln: einen Gruß entbieten
  3. 3
    sich beziehungsweise seine Dienste für einen bestimmten Zweck zur Verfügung stellen; in Betracht kommen
  4. 4
    anzuraten, geraten, nutzbringend, nützlich, von Vorteil sein
  5. 5
    einen guten Eindruck hinterlassen
  6. 6
    voller Vertrauen übergeben, im gegenseitigen Vertrauen überlassen; unter jemandes Schutz stellen
  7. 7
    zum Abschied zunächst einige Worte (förmlich) an jemanden richten, um sich anschließend von diesem zu entfernen, fortzugehen

Synonyms

anempfehlennahelegenratenunterbreitengrüßenanbietenanbietenseinbeeindruckenanvertrauenanbefehlenverabschieden

Antonyms

abratenAbschiednehmennutzlosmissbehagenmissbilligenmissfallenbetrauenüberbringen

This word in other languages

recommend(English)recomendar(Español)recommander(Français)recomendar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: emfpehlen,emmpfehlen,empefhlen,empfeheln,empfehhlen,empfehlenn,empfehllen,empfehlne,empfelhen,empffehlen,empfhelen,emppfehlen,epmfehlen,mepfehlen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of empfehlen - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

emfpehlen2emmpfehlen1empefhlen2empfeheln2empfehhlen1empfehlenn1empfehllen1empfehlne2
Edit distance from "empfehlen"

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 "empfehlen"?
"empfehlen" is spelled E-M-P-F-E-H-L-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ɛmˈp͡feːlən].
What does "empfehlen" mean?
As a verb, "empfehlen" means: jemanden/etwas als vorteilhaft, geeignet, zuverlässig infrage kommend benennen; jemandem anraten, sich für jemanden beziehungsweise etwas zu entscheiden
What words are commonly confused with "empfehlen"?
"empfehlen" is commonly confused with "empfohlen", "Empfehlung", "empfohlene". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "empfehlen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "empfehlen" is [ɛmˈp͡feːlən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "empfehlen" come from?
"empfehlen" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “empfehlen”

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

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