ernsthaften

Name: ernsthaften, German Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

[ˈɛʁnsthaftn̩]

/[ˈɛʁnsthaftn̩]/ adj

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“ernsthaften” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #18,227 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#18,227
frequency rank, German: 11
letters: 18
tracked misspellings: 4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ernsthaften vs ernsthaftes

91% similar

ernsthaften vs ernsthafter

91% similar

ernsthaften vs ernsthaft

82% similar

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

Key facts for ernsthaften
Property	Value
Headword	ernsthaften
Language	German
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	[ˈɛʁnsthaftn̩]
Letters	11
Frequency rank	#18,227
Misspellings tracked	18
Confusable pairs	4
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ernsthaften” 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). ernsthaften lands here:

#18,227

#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 ernsthaften is 11 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈɛʁnsthaftn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #18,227 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for ernsthaften, with forms such as "enrsthaften", "ernnsthaften", and "ernshtaften". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "ernsthaftes", "ernsthafter", "ernsthaft", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is ernsthaften, spelled E-R-N-S-T-H-A-F-T-E-N.

Definition

1
Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft
2
Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft
3
Genitiv Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft
4
Dativ Plural alle Genera der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft
5
Genitiv Singular alle Genera der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft
6
Dativ Singular alle Genera der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft
7
Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft
8
Alle Kasus Plural alle Genera der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft
9
Genitiv Singular alle Genera der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft
10
Dativ Singular alle Genera der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft
11
Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft
12
Alle Kasus Plural alle Genera der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: enrsthaften,ernnsthaften,ernshtaften,ernssthaften,ernstahften,ernsthafetn,ernsthafften,ernsthaftenn,ernsthaftne,ernsthaftten,ernsthatfen,ernsthfaten,ernsthhaften,ernstthaften,erntshaften,errnsthaften,ersnthaften,rensthaften

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "ernsthaften"

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 "ernsthaften"?

"ernsthaften" is spelled E-R-N-S-T-H-A-F-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɛʁnsthaftn̩].

What does "ernsthaften" mean?

As an adjective, "ernsthaften" means: Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ernsthaft

What words are commonly confused with "ernsthaften"?

"ernsthaften" is commonly confused with "ernsthaftes", "ernsthafter", "ernsthaft". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "ernsthaften"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ernsthaften" is [ˈɛʁnsthaftn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What language does "ernsthaften" come from?

"ernsthaften" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.

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 “ernsthaften”

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

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