kicken

[ˈkɪkn̩]

/[ˈkɪkn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“kicken” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #28,270 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#28,270
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas oder jemanden treten

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

kicken vs Küken
50% similar
kicken vs kickt
67% similar
kicken vs kochen
67% similar

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

Key facts for kicken
PropertyValue
Headwordkicken
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈkɪkn̩]
Letters6
Frequency rank#28,270
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kicken” 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). kicken 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 kicken is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈkɪkn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #28,270 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 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for kicken, with forms such as "ikcken", "kciken", and "kiccken". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Küken", "kickt", "kochen", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is kicken, spelled K-I-C-K-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas oder jemanden treten
  2. 2
    Fußball spielen; einen Ball treten
  3. 3
    jemanden aus einem Onlinebereich entfernen
  4. 4
    ein Geräusch wie 'kick' von sich geben; mucksen oder auch stammeln

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ikcken,kciken,kiccken,kicekn,kickenn,kickken,kickne,kikcen,kkicken

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ikcken2kciken2kiccken1kicekn2kickenn1kickken1kickne2kikcen2
Edit distance from "kicken"

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 "kicken"?
"kicken" is spelled K-I-C-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈkɪkn̩].
What does "kicken" mean?
As a verb, "kicken" means: etwas oder jemanden treten
What words are commonly confused with "kicken"?
"kicken" is commonly confused with "Küken", "kickt", "kochen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "kicken"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kicken" is [ˈkɪkn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "kicken" come from?
"kicken" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “kicken”

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

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