getreu

[ɡəˈtʁɔɪ̯]

/[ɡəˈtʁɔɪ̯]/ adj

The verdict

“getreu” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #21,626 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#21,626
frequency rank, German
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - treu und loyal gegenüber jemandem

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

getreu vs Getue
50% similar
getreu vs getreuen
75% similar
getreu vs Genre
50% similar

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

Key facts for getreu
PropertyValue
Headwordgetreu
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ɡəˈtʁɔɪ̯]
Letters6
Frequency rank#21,626
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “getreu” 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). getreu 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 getreu is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɡəˈtʁɔɪ̯]. Corpus data places it at rank #21,626 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. 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 getreu, with forms such as "egtreu", "gerteu", and "geteru". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "Getue", "getreuen", "Genre", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is getreu, spelled G-E-T-R-E-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    treu und loyal gegenüber jemandem
  2. 2
    einer Vorgabe genau folgend

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: egtreu,gerteu,geteru,getrreu,getrue,gettreu,ggetreu,gtereu

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of getreu - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

egtreu2gerteu2geteru2getrreu1getrue2gettreu1ggetreu1gtereu2
Edit distance from "getreu"

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 "getreu"?
"getreu" is spelled G-E-T-R-E-U. The IPA pronunciation is [ɡəˈtʁɔɪ̯].
What does "getreu" mean?
As an adjective, "getreu" means: treu und loyal gegenüber jemandem
What words are commonly confused with "getreu"?
"getreu" is commonly confused with "Getue", "getreuen", "Genre". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "getreu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "getreu" is [ɡəˈtʁɔɪ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "getreu" come from?
"getreu" 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 “getreu”

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

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