festsetzen

[ˈfɛstˌzɛt͡sn̩]

/[ˈfɛstˌzɛt͡sn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“festsetzen” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #32,032 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#32,032
frequency rank, German
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - als verbindlich und gültig bestimmen; verbindlich beschließen, regeln

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

festsetzen vs fortsetzen
80% similar
festsetzen vs Festsetzung
73% similar
festsetzen vs festzusetzen
83% similar

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

Key facts for festsetzen
PropertyValue
Headwordfestsetzen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈfɛstˌzɛt͡sn̩]
Letters10
Frequency rank#32,032
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “festsetzen” 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). festsetzen 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 festsetzen is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈfɛstˌzɛt͡sn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #32,032 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for festsetzen, with forms such as "efstsetzen", "fesstetzen", and "fesstsetzen". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "fortsetzen", "Festsetzung", "festzusetzen", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

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 festsetzen, spelled F-E-S-T-S-E-T-Z-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    als verbindlich und gültig bestimmen; verbindlich beschließen, regeln
  2. 2
    gefangen setzen, in Haft nehmen
  3. 3
    haften bleiben
  4. 4
    irgendwo ansässig werden, sich irgendwo ansiedeln; sich irgendwo (für längere Zeit) einrichten; einen Ort (für längere Zeit) unerlaubt einnehmen (befestigen und unter Kontrolle halten)

Synonyms

einsperrenfestnehmeninhaftiereninpolizeilichenGewahrsambringennehmeninternierenverhaftenhinter Schloss und Riegel bringenhinter Schloss und Riegel setzenhinter schwedische Gardinen bringeneinkastelneinbuchteneinbunkerneinkassiereneinlochen

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: efstsetzen,fesstetzen,fesstsetzen,festestzen,festsetezn,festsettzen,festsetzenn,festsetzne,festsetzzen,festsezten,festssetzen,feststezen,festtsetzen,fetssetzen,ffestsetzen,fsetsetzen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of festsetzen - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

efstsetzen2fesstetzen2fesstsetzen1festestzen2festsetezn2festsettzen1festsetzenn1festsetzne2
Edit distance from "festsetzen"

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 "festsetzen"?
"festsetzen" is spelled F-E-S-T-S-E-T-Z-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfɛstˌzɛt͡sn̩].
What does "festsetzen" mean?
As a verb, "festsetzen" means: als verbindlich und gültig bestimmen; verbindlich beschließen, regeln
What words are commonly confused with "festsetzen"?
"festsetzen" is commonly confused with "fortsetzen", "Festsetzung", "festzusetzen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "festsetzen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "festsetzen" is [ˈfɛstˌzɛt͡sn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "festsetzen" come from?
"festsetzen" 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 “festsetzen”

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

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