grell

[ɡʁɛl]

/[ɡʁɛl]/ adj

The verdict

“grell” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #39,978 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#39,978
frequency rank, German
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - unangenehm hell

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

grell vs grey
60% similar
grell vs Grill
60% similar
grell vs Groll
60% similar

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

Key facts for grell
PropertyValue
Headwordgrell
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ɡʁɛl]
Letters5
Frequency rank#39,978
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “grell” 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). grell 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 grell is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɡʁɛl]. Corpus data places it at rank #39,978 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for grell, with forms such as "gerll", "ggrell", and "grel". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "grey", "Grill", "Groll", 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 any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is grell, spelled G-R-E-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    unangenehm hell
  2. 2
    unangenehm im Ohr, zum Beispiel durch hohe Frequenz und Lautstärke
  3. 3
    unangenehm für das Auge, zum Beispiel durch klare, bunte, intensive Farben

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: gerll,ggrell,grel,grlel,grrell,rgell

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

gerll2ggrell1grel1grlel2grrell1rgell2
Edit distance from "grell"

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 "grell"?
"grell" is spelled G-R-E-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is [ɡʁɛl].
What does "grell" mean?
As an adjective, "grell" means: unangenehm hell
What words are commonly confused with "grell"?
"grell" is commonly confused with "grey", "Grill", "Groll". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "grell"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "grell" is [ɡʁɛl]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "grell" come from?
"grell" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “grell”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is G-R-E-L-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ɡʁɛl] (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. grell 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