fred

[fɾɛt]

/[fɾɛt]/ adj

The verdict

“fred” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #7,047 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#7,047
frequency rank, German
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - kalt (von der Temperatur her)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fred vs fry
50% similar
fred vs frei
75% similar
fred vs früh
50% similar

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

Key facts for fred
PropertyValue
Headwordfred
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[fɾɛt]
Letters4
Frequency rank#7,047
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fred” 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). fred 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 fred is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [fɾɛt]. Corpus data places it at rank #7,047 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for fred, with forms such as "ferd", "ffred", and "frde". 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, "fry", "frei", "früh", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is fred, spelled F-R-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    kalt (von der Temperatur her)
  2. 2
    kalt (vom Gefühl und Empfinden her)

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ferd,ffred,frde,fredd,frred,rfed

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fred - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ferd2ffred1frde2fredd1frred1rfed2
Edit distance from "fred"

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 "fred"?
"fred" is spelled F-R-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is [fɾɛt].
What does "fred" mean?
As an adjective, "fred" means: kalt (von der Temperatur her)
What words are commonly confused with "fred"?
"fred" is commonly confused with "fry", "frei", "früh". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fred"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fred" is [fɾɛt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fred" come from?
"fred" 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 “fred”

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

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