gaffen

[ˈɡafn̩]

/[ˈɡafn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

“gaffen” is an uncommon German word, ranked #66,234 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#66,234
frequency rank, German
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - neugierig starren

Key facts for gaffen
PropertyValue
Headwordgaffen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈɡafn̩]
Letters6
Frequency rank#66,234
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gaffen” 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). gaffen 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 gaffen is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈɡafn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #66,234 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "neugierig starren".

gaffen has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is gaffen, spelled G-A-F-F-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    neugierig starren

This word in other languages

gape(English)badauder(Français)

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 "gaffen"?
"gaffen" is spelled G-A-F-F-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɡafn̩].
What does "gaffen" mean?
As a verb, "gaffen" means: neugierig starren
How do you pronounce "gaffen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gaffen" is [ˈɡafn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "gaffen" come from?
"gaffen" 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 “gaffen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is G-A-F-F-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈɡafn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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