-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 September 3, 2026) - nachgestelltes Wortbildungselement, das Adverbien von Superlativen und Ordinalzahlen ableitet

Corpus desk

Index DE-ens · -ens · German

-ens · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "-" 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 -ens
PropertyValue
Headword-ens
LanguageGerman
Part of speechSuffix
IPA[n̩s]
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „-ens“ im Deutschen

-ensliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

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

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Die Adverbien größtens und drittens
  2. Marxens „Das Kapital“

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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list