gestalten

[ɡəˈʃtaltn̩]

/[ɡəˈʃtaltn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“gestalten” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #2,296 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,296
frequency rank, German
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - einem Gegenstand oder Prozess eine Form oder ein Konzept geben

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gestalten vs gestaltet
89% similar
gestalten vs gestartet
78% similar
gestalten vs gestanden
78% similar

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

Key facts for gestalten
PropertyValue
Headwordgestalten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ɡəˈʃtaltn̩]
Letters9
Frequency rank#2,296
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gestalten” 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). gestalten 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 gestalten is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɡəˈʃtaltn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #2,296 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 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for gestalten, with forms such as "egstalten", "gesatlten", and "gesstalten". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 17 confusable-pair relationships, "gestaltet", "gestartet", "gestanden", 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 any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is gestalten, spelled G-E-S-T-A-L-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    einem Gegenstand oder Prozess eine Form oder ein Konzept geben
  2. 2
    in der Realität ablaufen

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: egstalten,gesatlten,gesstalten,gestaletn,gestallten,gestaltenn,gestaltne,gestaltten,gestatlen,gestlaten,gesttalten,getsalten,ggestalten,gsetalten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

egstalten2gesatlten2gesstalten1gestaletn2gestallten1gestaltenn1gestaltne2gestaltten1
Edit distance from "gestalten"

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 "gestalten"?
"gestalten" is spelled G-E-S-T-A-L-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ɡəˈʃtaltn̩].
What does "gestalten" mean?
As a verb, "gestalten" means: einem Gegenstand oder Prozess eine Form oder ein Konzept geben
What words are commonly confused with "gestalten"?
"gestalten" is commonly confused with "gestaltet", "gestartet", "gestanden". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gestalten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gestalten" is [ɡəˈʃtaltn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "gestalten" come from?
"gestalten" 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 “gestalten”

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

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