heiraten

[ˈhaɪ̯ʁaːtn̩]

/[ˈhaɪ̯ʁaːtn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“heiraten” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #4,276 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#4,276
frequency rank, German
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - den Bund der Ehe eingehen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

heiraten vs Hirten
63% similar
heiraten vs Herten
63% similar
heiraten vs heiratet
88% similar

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

Key facts for heiraten
PropertyValue
Headwordheiraten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈhaɪ̯ʁaːtn̩]
Letters8
Frequency rank#4,276
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “heiraten” 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). heiraten 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 heiraten is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈhaɪ̯ʁaːtn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #4,276 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for heiraten, with forms such as "ehiraten", "heiarten", and "heiraetn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "Hirten", "Herten", "heiratet", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is heiraten, spelled H-E-I-R-A-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    den Bund der Ehe eingehen
  2. 2
    jemanden zum Ehepartner nehmen
  3. 3
    infolge der Ehe wegziehen an einen anderen Ort

Synonyms

Bund der Eheschließenhochzeitenin den Ehestand tretensich vermählenbeweibenehelichenheimführendas Ja-Wort gebensich mit jemandem verheiratenunter der Haube seinunter die Haube bringenunter die Haube kommen

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ehiraten,heiarten,heiraetn,heiratenn,heiratne,heiratten,heirraten,heirtaen,heriaten,hheiraten,hieraten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ehiraten2heiarten2heiraetn2heiratenn1heiratne2heiratten1heirraten1heirtaen2
Edit distance from "heiraten"

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 "heiraten"?
"heiraten" is spelled H-E-I-R-A-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈhaɪ̯ʁaːtn̩].
What does "heiraten" mean?
As a verb, "heiraten" means: den Bund der Ehe eingehen
What words are commonly confused with "heiraten"?
"heiraten" is commonly confused with "Hirten", "Herten", "heiratet". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "heiraten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "heiraten" is [ˈhaɪ̯ʁaːtn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "heiraten" come from?
"heiraten" 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 “heiraten”

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

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