ernster

/[ˈɛʁnstɐ]/ adj

Letters

7 characters

Frequency Rank

#17,282

in German word usage

Misspellings

11

tracked variants

Confusables

17

similar word pairs

ernster is anGermanadj. It means: Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs ernst Pronounced [ˈɛʁnstɐ]. Often confused with erste and Ernte.

Key facts for ernster
PropertyValue
Headwordernster
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdj
IPA[ˈɛʁnstɐ]
Letters7
Frequency rank#17,282
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of ernster in German word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for ernster is 7 letters long, classified as anadj, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈɛʁnstɐ]. Corpus data places it at rank #17,282 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it.Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 11 documented wrong-spelling variants for ernster, with forms such as "enrster", "ernnster", and "ernsetr". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 17 confusable-pair relationships, "erste", "Ernte", "Ester", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct German form is ernster, spelled E-R-N-S-T-E-R, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs ernst
  2. 2
    Genitiv Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs ernst
  3. 3
    Dativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs ernst
  4. 4
    Genitiv Plural alle Genera der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs ernst
  5. 5
    Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs ernst

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: enrster,ernnster,ernsetr,ernsster,ernsterr,ernstre,ernstter,erntser,errnster,ersnter,renster

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for ernster

Misspelling Variants of "ernster"

enrster7ernnster8ernsetr7ernsster8ernsterr8ernstre7ernstter8erntser7
Misspelling Variants of "ernster"

Frequency rank: #17,282 in German

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ernster"?
"ernster" is spelled E-R-N-S-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɛʁnstɐ].
What does "ernster" mean?
As an adj, "ernster" means: Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs ernst
What words are commonly confused with "ernster"?
"ernster" is commonly confused with "erste", "Ernte", "Ester". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ernster"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ernster" is [ˈɛʁnstɐ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ernster" come from?
"ernster" 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.

Nearby German words

Other entries that begin with the letter E in our German index:

Explore PlainSpell

Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.