genial

[ɡeˈni̯aːl]

/[ɡeˈni̯aːl]/ adj

The verdict

“genial” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #5,263 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#5,263
frequency rank, German
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ungewöhnlich gut, ungewöhnlich begabt, herausragend

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

genial vs Genua
50% similar
genial vs Genick
50% similar
genial vs Genies
50% similar

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

Key facts for genial
PropertyValue
Headwordgenial
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ɡeˈni̯aːl]
Letters6
Frequency rank#5,263
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “genial” 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). genial 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 genial is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɡeˈni̯aːl]. Corpus data places it at rank #5,263 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 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for genial, with forms such as "egnial", "geinal", and "genail". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "Genua", "Genick", "Genies", 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 its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is genial, spelled G-E-N-I-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    ungewöhnlich gut, ungewöhnlich begabt, herausragend
  2. 2
    klasse, hervorragend

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: egnial,geinal,genail,geniall,genila,gennial,ggenial,gneial

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

egnial2geinal2genail2geniall1genila2gennial1ggenial1gneial2
Edit distance from "genial"

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 "genial"?
"genial" is spelled G-E-N-I-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is [ɡeˈni̯aːl].
What does "genial" mean?
As an adjective, "genial" means: ungewöhnlich gut, ungewöhnlich begabt, herausragend
What words are commonly confused with "genial"?
"genial" is commonly confused with "Genua", "Genick", "Genies". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "genial"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "genial" is [ɡeˈni̯aːl]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "genial" come from?
"genial" 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 “genial”

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

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