folgen
[ˈfɔlɡn̩]
The verdict
“folgen” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #566 in German word frequency and used as a verb.
- #566
- frequency rank, German
- 6
- letters
- 8
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - jemandem oder etwas hinterhergehen oder auch hinterherfahren
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | folgen |
| Language | German |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | [ˈfɔlɡn̩] |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #566 |
| Misspellings tracked | 8 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “folgen” sits in German frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The German entry for folgen is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈfɔlɡn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #566 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for folgen, with forms such as "ffolgen", "foglen", and "folegn". 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, "folgt", "Foren", "fügen", 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 pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is folgen, spelled F-O-L-G-E-N.
Definition
- 1jemandem oder etwas hinterhergehen oder auch hinterherfahren
- 2jemandem oder etwas hinterherblicken
- 3gedanklich nachvollziehen
- 4sich logisch – oder sonst argumentativ – ergeben, kausale Folge sein
- 5in einer linearen Anordnung das nächste Element sein (dies kann zeitlich, räumlich oder logisch begründet sein)
- 6sich nach etwas richten, diesem nachgeben
- 7einer Aufforderung oder einem Befehl nachkommen
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ffolgen,foglen,folegn,folgenn,folggen,folgne,follgen,oflgen
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of folgen - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "folgen"?
What does "folgen" mean?
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Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “folgen”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct German spelling is F-O-L-G-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [ˈfɔlɡn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “folgt” - see the side-by-side comparison. folgen vs folgt
- 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.