-ens

[n̩s]

/[n̩s]/ suffix

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - nachgestelltes Wortbildungselement, das Adverbien von Superlativen und Ordinalzahlen ableitet

Key facts for -ens
PropertyValue
Headword-ens
LanguageGerman
Part of speechSuffix
IPA[n̩s]
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “-ens” sits in German frequency

-ens 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

-ens is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as asuffix, transcribed [n̩s]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for -ens in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is -ens, spelled --E-N-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    nachgestelltes Wortbildungselement, das Adverbien von Superlativen und Ordinalzahlen ableitet
  2. 2
    leitet den Genitiv (Verwendung ohne Artikel) ab
  3. 3
    nachgestelltes Wortbildungselement, auf eine Sache bezogene Ableitung vom Verb zum Nomen, so wie -ent dies personenbezogen tut

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "-ens"?
"-ens" is spelled --E-N-S. The IPA pronunciation is [n̩s].
What does "-ens" mean?
As a suffix, "-ens" means: nachgestelltes Wortbildungselement, das Adverbien von Superlativen und Ordinalzahlen ableitet
How do you pronounce "-ens"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "-ens" is [n̩s]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "-ens" come from?
"-ens" 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 “-ens”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is --E-N-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [n̩s] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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