entgegenstehen

[ɛntˈɡeːɡn̩ˌʃteːən]

/[ɛntˈɡeːɡn̩ˌʃteːən]/ verb

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

The verdict

“entgegenstehen” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #34,616 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#34,616
frequency rank, German
14
letters
22
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - sich gegen etwas oder jemanden wehren, sich in den Weg stellen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

entgegenstehen vs entgegenstellen
87% similar

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

Key facts for entgegenstehen
PropertyValue
Headwordentgegenstehen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ɛntˈɡeːɡn̩ˌʃteːən]
Letters14
Frequency rank#34,616
Misspellings tracked22
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “entgegenstehen” 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). entgegenstehen 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 entgegenstehen is 14 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɛntˈɡeːɡn̩ˌʃteːən]. Corpus data places it at rank #34,616 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 22 likely wrong-spelling variants for entgegenstehen, with forms such as "engtegenstehen", "enntgegenstehen", and "enteggenstehen". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "entgegenstellen", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is entgegenstehen, spelled E-N-T-G-E-G-E-N-S-T-E-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    sich gegen etwas oder jemanden wehren, sich in den Weg stellen
  2. 2
    den Gegenpunkt/das Gegengewicht zu etwas ausmachen, auf der anderen Seite platziert sein
  3. 3
    sich so gestalten, so ablaufen, dass etwas etwas anderem widerspricht; ein Gegenargument darstellen

Antonyms

helfenuntermauernharmonieren

This word in other languages

s'opposer(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: engtegenstehen,enntgegenstehen,enteggenstehen,entgeegnstehen,entgegennstehen,entgegensethen,entgegensstehen,entgegensteehn,entgegenstehenn,entgegenstehhen,entgegenstehne,entgegenstheen,entgegensttehen,entgegentsehen,entgegesntehen,entgeggenstehen,entgegnestehen,entggeenstehen,entggegenstehen,enttgegenstehen,etngegenstehen,netgegenstehen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

engtegenstehen2enntgegenstehen1enteggenstehen2entgeegnstehen2entgegennstehen1entgegensethen2entgegensstehen1entgegensteehn2
Edit distance from "entgegenstehen"

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 "entgegenstehen"?
"entgegenstehen" is spelled E-N-T-G-E-G-E-N-S-T-E-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ɛntˈɡeːɡn̩ˌʃteːən].
What does "entgegenstehen" mean?
As a verb, "entgegenstehen" means: sich gegen etwas oder jemanden wehren, sich in den Weg stellen
What words are commonly confused with "entgegenstehen"?
"entgegenstehen" is commonly confused with "entgegenstellen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "entgegenstehen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "entgegenstehen" is [ɛntˈɡeːɡn̩ˌʃteːən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "entgegenstehen" come from?
"entgegenstehen" 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 “entgegenstehen”

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

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