Kern

[kɛʁn]

/[kɛʁn]/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“Kern” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #2,602 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,602
frequency rank, German
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - in der Mitte befindlicher Hauptbestandteil eines Ganzen; Basis, Zentrum

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Kern vs Kr
50% similar
Kern vs key
25% similar
Kern vs Kür
50% similar

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

Key facts for Kern
PropertyValue
HeadwordKern
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[kɛʁn]
Letters4
Frequency rank#2,602
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Kern” 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). Kern 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 Kern is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [kɛʁn]. Corpus data places it at rank #2,602 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 19 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 Kern, with forms such as "ekrn", "kenr", and "kernn". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Kr", "key", "Kür", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Kern, spelled K-E-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    in der Mitte befindlicher Hauptbestandteil eines Ganzen; Basis, Zentrum
  2. 2
    Menge aller Elemente, die auf das neutrale Element abgebildet werden
  3. 3
    Stein^([10]) der Steinfrüchte; innen befindlicher Teil, fester Teil von Früchten oder Samen von Früchten
  4. 4
    Innenteile des Fruchtkerns/der Fruchthülle
  5. 5
    enthülstes Getreidekorn, meist Dinkelkorn
  6. 6
    Zellkern
  7. 7
    Atomkern
  8. 8
    Reaktorkern
  9. 9
    Eisenkern
  10. 10
    Nervenkern
  11. 11
    in eine Gießform eingebrachtes, speziell geformtes Teil an der Stelle eines Hohlraumes
  12. 12
    wichtigster, aktivster Teil einer Gruppe
  13. 13
    eingelegter, runder Teil, der sich im Mundstück der Blockflöte befindet
  14. 14
    Innenteil bei Orgelpfeifen
  15. 15
    Innenteil aus abdichtendem Material bei einem Staudamm
  16. 16
    Innenteil bei höheren Stahlbetonbauten; Gleitkern
  17. 17
    Innenteil bei bestimmten Baumstämmen
  18. 18
    Fleischkörper ohne Balg beim Raubwild
  19. 19
    Kernstück einer gegerbten Rindshaut, welches eine feste, gleichmäßige Struktur aufweist und das wertvollste Stück ist

Synonyms

das A und OAtomkern

This word in other languages

core(English)fondo(Español)noyau(Français)núcleo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ekrn,kenr,kernn,kerrn,kkern,kren

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ekrn2kenr2kernn1kerrn1kkern1kren2
Edit distance from "Kern"

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 "Kern"?
"Kern" is spelled K-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is [kɛʁn].
What does "Kern" mean?
As a noun, "Kern" means: in der Mitte befindlicher Hauptbestandteil eines Ganzen; Basis, Zentrum
What words are commonly confused with "Kern"?
"Kern" is commonly confused with "Kr", "key", "Kür". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Kern"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Kern" is [kɛʁn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Kern" come from?
"Kern" 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 “Kern”

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

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