fliegen

[ˈfliːɡn̩]

/[ˈfliːɡn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

“fliegen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,845 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,845
frequency rank, German
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - sich ohne Bodenkontakt in der Luft, im freien Raum fortbewegen (mithilfe von Flügeln, eines Antriebs, eines Flugzeugs oder Ähnlichem)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fliegen vs fliegt
71% similar
fliegen vs flogen
71% similar
fliegen vs Flügen
57% similar

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

Key facts for fliegen
PropertyValue
Headwordfliegen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈfliːɡn̩]
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,845
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fliegen” 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). fliegen 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 fliegen is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈfliːɡn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,845 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 18 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for fliegen, with forms such as "ffliegen", "filegen", and "fleigen". 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, "fliegt", "flogen", "Flügen", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, 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 fliegen, spelled F-L-I-E-G-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    sich ohne Bodenkontakt in der Luft, im freien Raum fortbewegen (mithilfe von Flügeln, eines Antriebs, eines Flugzeugs oder Ähnlichem)
  2. 2
    (als Pilot) ein Luft- oder Raumfahrzeug führen
  3. 3
    in einem Luft- oder Raumfahrzeug reisen
  4. 4
    mit einem Luftfahrzeug an einen anderen Ort bringen, befördern
  5. 5
    bestimmte Eigenschaften im Fliegen aufweisen
  6. 6
    in bestimmter Weise möglich, zu fliegen
  7. 7
    etwas im Fliegen durchführen
  8. 8
    eine bestimmte Strecke fliegen
  9. 9
    sich zitternd bewegen
  10. 10
    eine große Schnelligkeit aufweisen
  11. 11
    durch eine stoßende Kraft (wie etwa Wind) irgendwohin bewegt werden
  12. 12
    sich besonders schnell (an einen bestimmten Ort) bewegen
  13. 13
    sich im Winde bewegen, hin und her wehen
  14. 14
    (irgendwohin) geworfen, geschleudert werden
  15. 15
    nach unten stürzen, fallen
  16. 16
    von irgendwo (plötzlich) verwiesen oder entlassen werden
  17. 17
    eine Prüfung nicht bestehen; durchfallen
  18. 18
    von jemandem oder etwas besonders begeistert sein; ein besonderes Interesse für jemanden oder etwas zeigen

Antonyms

abstürzenfahrengehenlandenlaufenliegenkrabbelnkriechenschwimmenstehenwandern

This word in other languages

fly(English)volar(Español)voler(Français)voar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffliegen,filegen,fleigen,flieegn,fliegenn,flieggen,fliegne,fligeen,flliegen,lfiegen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffliegen1filegen2fleigen2flieegn2fliegenn1flieggen1fliegne2fligeen2
Edit distance from "fliegen"

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 "fliegen"?
"fliegen" is spelled F-L-I-E-G-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfliːɡn̩].
What does "fliegen" mean?
As a verb, "fliegen" means: sich ohne Bodenkontakt in der Luft, im freien Raum fortbewegen (mithilfe von Flügeln, eines Antriebs, eines Flugzeugs oder Ähnlichem)
What words are commonly confused with "fliegen"?
"fliegen" is commonly confused with "fliegt", "flogen", "Flügen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fliegen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fliegen" is [ˈfliːɡn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fliegen" come from?
"fliegen" 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 “fliegen”

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

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