fossiler

[fɔˈsiːlɐ]

/[fɔˈsiːlɐ]/ adj

The verdict

“fossiler” has 11 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #39,348. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,348
frequency rank, German
45,736
“F” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fossiler vs Fossilien
67% similar
fossiler vs fossil
75% similar
fossiler vs fossile
88% similar

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

Key facts for fossiler
PropertyValue
Headwordfossiler
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[fɔˈsiːlɐ]
Letters8
Frequency rank#39,348
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fossiler” 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). fossiler lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around fossiler (IPA [fɔˈsiːlɐ]), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #39,348 among 45,736 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for fossiler, with forms such as "ffossiler", "fosiler", and "fosisler". 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, "Fossilien", "fossil", "fossile", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is fossiler, spelled F-O-S-S-I-L-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fossil
  2. 2
    Genitiv Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fossil
  3. 3
    Dativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fossil
  4. 4
    Genitiv Plural alle Genera der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fossil
  5. 5
    Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fossil

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffossiler
  • fosiler
  • fosisler
  • fossielr
  • fossilerr
  • fossiller
  • fossilre
  • fosslier
  • foßiler
  • fsosiler
  • ofssiler

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fossiler - 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.

ffossiler1fosiler1fosisler2fossielr2fossilerr1fossiller1fossilre2fosslier2
Edit distance from "fossiler"

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 "fossiler"?
"fossiler" is spelled F-O-S-S-I-L-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is [fɔˈsiːlɐ].
What does "fossiler" mean?
As an adjective, "fossiler" means: Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs fossil
What words are commonly confused with "fossiler"?
"fossiler" is commonly confused with "Fossilien", "fossil", "fossile". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fossiler"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fossiler" is [fɔˈsiːlɐ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fossiler" come from?
"fossiler" 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 “fossiler”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is F-O-S-S-I-L-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [fɔˈsiːlɐ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Fossilien” - see the side-by-side comparison. fossiler vs Fossilien
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Same frequency band

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