Greif

[ɡʁaɪ̯f]

/[ɡʁaɪ̯f]/ noun

The verdict

“Greif” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #22,748 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#22,748
frequency rank, German
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Fabelwesen, verwandt dem Drachen, jedoch meist mit Adlerkopf und -flügeln sowie Löwenkörper

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Greif vs grey
40% similar
Greif vs grip
40% similar
Greif vs Griff
60% similar

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

Key facts for Greif
PropertyValue
HeadwordGreif
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ɡʁaɪ̯f]
Letters5
Frequency rank#22,748
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Greif” 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). Greif 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 Greif is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɡʁaɪ̯f]. Corpus data places it at rank #22,748 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 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Greif, with forms such as "gerif", "ggreif", and "grefi". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "grey", "grip", "Griff", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Greif, spelled G-R-E-I-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    Fabelwesen, verwandt dem Drachen, jedoch meist mit Adlerkopf und -flügeln sowie Löwenkörper
  2. 2
    kurz für Greifvogel

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: gerif,ggreif,grefi,greiff,grief,grreif,rgeif

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

gerif2ggreif1grefi2greiff1grief2grreif1rgeif2
Edit distance from "Greif"

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 "Greif"?
"Greif" is spelled G-R-E-I-F. The IPA pronunciation is [ɡʁaɪ̯f].
What does "Greif" mean?
As a noun, "Greif" means: Fabelwesen, verwandt dem Drachen, jedoch meist mit Adlerkopf und -flügeln sowie Löwenkörper
What words are commonly confused with "Greif"?
"Greif" is commonly confused with "grey", "grip", "Griff". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Greif"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Greif" is [ɡʁaɪ̯f]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Greif" come from?
"Greif" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “Greif”

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

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