Igel
[ˈiːɡl̩]
The verdict
“Igel” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #15,658 in German word frequency and used as a noun.
- #15,658
- frequency rank, German
- 4
- letters
- 4
- tracked misspellings
- 18
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - stachelhäutiges Säugetier aus der Familie Erinaceidae
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Igel |
| Language | German |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | [ˈiːɡl̩] |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #15,658 |
| Misspellings tracked | 4 |
| Confusable pairs | 18 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Igel” sits in German frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The German entry for Igel is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈiːɡl̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #15,658 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for Igel, with forms such as "iegl", "igell", and "iggel". 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 18 confusable-pair relationships, "ire", "ill", "IGS", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Igel, spelled I-G-E-L.
Definition
- 1stachelhäutiges Säugetier aus der Familie Erinaceidae
- 2Gerät zur Bearbeitung der Zwischenräume der Saatreihen
- 3Gebäck in Igelform; Mett in Igelform (mit Salzstangen); Birnenhälften mit Mandelstiften
- 4Haarschnitt in Igelform
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: iegl,igell,iggel,igle
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Igel - 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.
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 "Igel"?
What does "Igel" mean?
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Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “Igel”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct German spelling is I-G-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [ˈiːɡl̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “ire” - see the side-by-side comparison. Igel vs ire
- 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.