fahren

[ˈfaːʁən]

/[ˈfaːʁən]/ verb

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

The verdict

“fahren” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #541 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#541
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - sich mit einem Fahrzeug zu Lande fortbewegen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fahren vs Fahrt
50% similar
fahren vs führe
67% similar
fahren vs faire
67% similar

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

Key facts for fahren
PropertyValue
Headwordfahren
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈfaːʁən]
Letters6
Frequency rank#541
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fahren” 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). fahren 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 fahren is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈfaːʁən]. Corpus data places it at rank #541 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for fahren, with forms such as "afhren", "fahern", and "fahhren". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Fahrt", "führe", "faire", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is fahren, spelled F-A-H-R-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    sich mit einem Fahrzeug zu Lande fortbewegen
  2. 2
    sich mit einem Fahrzeug zu Wasser fortbewegen
  3. 3
    sich mit einem schwebenden Luftfahrzeug fortbewegen
  4. 4
    ein Fahrzeug zu Lande lenken beziehungsweise führen (ausgenommen Schienenfahrzeuge)
  5. 5
    ein schwebendes Luftfahrzeug lenken oder führen
  6. 6
    eine Hand oder einen Gegenstand mit einer einzigen Bewegung über eine Oberfläche, in etwas hinein bewegen
  7. 7
    selbst oder mit dem ganzen Körper eine einzige schwungvolle, heftige Bewegung machen, bei Lebewesen oft von starker Emotion begleitet
  8. 8
    sich bewegen
  9. 9
    in einem meist regelmäßigen Zeitabstand (Takt) auf einer festgelegten Route eine bestimmte Strecke befahren
  10. 10
    sich unter Tage fortbewegen
  11. 11
    in Betrieb halten, bedienen
  12. 12
    mit einem Fahrzeug jemanden irgendwo bringen

Synonyms

eilenfortbewegenreisenbefördernchauffierenfortbringenkutschierenlenkensteuernstreichenüberstreifenwischenaufbrausenerregen

Antonyms

gehenfliegenlaufenreitengelassenruhig

This word in other languages

cart(English)ir(Español)aller(Français)conduzir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: afhren,fahern,fahhren,fahrenn,fahrne,fahrren,farhen,ffahren,fharen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

afhren2fahern2fahhren1fahrenn1fahrne2fahrren1farhen2ffahren1
Edit distance from "fahren"

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 "fahren"?
"fahren" is spelled F-A-H-R-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfaːʁən].
What does "fahren" mean?
As a verb, "fahren" means: sich mit einem Fahrzeug zu Lande fortbewegen
What words are commonly confused with "fahren"?
"fahren" is commonly confused with "Fahrt", "führe", "faire". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fahren"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fahren" is [ˈfaːʁən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fahren" come from?
"fahren" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “fahren”

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

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