lecken

[ˈlɛkn̩]

/[ˈlɛkn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“lecken” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #8,906 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#8,906
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - mit der Zunge an einer Oberfläche herumfahren

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lecken vs lesen
67% similar
lecken vs legen
67% similar
lecken vs Lücke
50% similar

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

Key facts for lecken
PropertyValue
Headwordlecken
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈlɛkn̩]
Letters6
Frequency rank#8,906
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lecken” 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). lecken 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 lecken is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈlɛkn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #8,906 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 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 lecken, with forms such as "elcken", "lceken", and "leccken". 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, "lesen", "legen", "Lücke", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is lecken, spelled L-E-C-K-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    mit der Zunge an einer Oberfläche herumfahren
  2. 2
    mit der Zunge an einer Oberfläche herumfahren
  3. 3
    mit der Zunge an einer Oberfläche herumfahren
  4. 4
    nicht dicht sein; durch ein Leck auslaufen
  5. 5
    sexuell oral stimulieren

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: elcken,lceken,leccken,lecekn,leckenn,leckken,leckne,lekcen,llecken

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lecken - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

elcken2lceken2leccken1lecekn2leckenn1leckken1leckne2lekcen2
Edit distance from "lecken"

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 "lecken"?
"lecken" is spelled L-E-C-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈlɛkn̩].
What does "lecken" mean?
As a verb, "lecken" means: mit der Zunge an einer Oberfläche herumfahren
What words are commonly confused with "lecken"?
"lecken" is commonly confused with "lesen", "legen", "Lücke". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lecken"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lecken" is [ˈlɛkn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "lecken" come from?
"lecken" 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 “lecken”

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

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