Joseph

[ˈjoːzɛf]

/[ˈjoːzɛf]/ name

The verdict

“Joseph” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #3,663 in German word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#3,663
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - männlicher Vorname

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Joseph vs jose
50% similar
Joseph vs Josef
67% similar

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

Key facts for Joseph
PropertyValue
HeadwordJoseph
LanguageGerman
Part of speechProper noun
IPA[ˈjoːzɛf]
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,663
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Joseph” 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). Joseph 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 Joseph is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈjoːzɛf]. Corpus data places it at rank #3,663 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "männlicher Vorname".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for Joseph, with forms such as "jjoseph", "joesph", and "josehp". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "jose", "Josef", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is Joseph, spelled J-O-S-E-P-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    männlicher Vorname

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: jjoseph,joesph,josehp,josephh,josepph,jospeh,josseph,jsoeph,ojseph

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

jjoseph1joesph2josehp2josephh1josepph1jospeh2josseph1jsoeph2
Edit distance from "Joseph"

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 "Joseph"?
"Joseph" is spelled J-O-S-E-P-H. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈjoːzɛf].
What does "Joseph" mean?
As a proper noun, "Joseph" means: männlicher Vorname
What words are commonly confused with "Joseph"?
"Joseph" is commonly confused with "jose", "Josef". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Joseph"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Joseph" is [ˈjoːzɛf]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Joseph" come from?
"Joseph" 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 “Joseph”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is J-O-S-E-P-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈjoːzɛf] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “jose” - see the side-by-side comparison. Joseph vs jose
  • 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