heißen

[ˈhaɪ̯sn̩]

/[ˈhaɪ̯sn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“heißen” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - genannt werden, den Namen haben

Corpus desk

Index DE-hei-en · heißen · German

heißen · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "H" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for heißen
PropertyValue
Headwordheißen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈhaɪ̯sn̩]
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „heißen“ im Deutschen

heißenliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

heißen is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [ˈhaɪ̯sn̩]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for heißen in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is heißen, spelled H-E-I-S-S-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    genannt werden, den Namen haben
  2. 2
    jemanden als etwas bezeichnen
  3. 3
    jemanden anweisen, etwas zu tun
  4. 4
    einen bestimmten Sinn haben
  5. 5
    es wird erzählt
  6. 6
    es gilt

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how heißen appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Ich heiße Maria.
  2. „Das Bungeespringen, das zutreffender ‚Bungeefallen’ heißen müsste, stellt eine Steigerung des beschriebenen Fallerlebens dar.“

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "heißen"?
"heißen" is spelled H-E-I-SS-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈhaɪ̯sn̩].
What does "heißen" mean?
As a verb, "heißen" means: genannt werden, den Namen haben
How do you pronounce "heißen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "heißen" is [ˈhaɪ̯sn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "heißen" come from?
"heißen" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list