lessen

[ˈlɛsən, ˈlɛsn̩]

/[ˈlɛsən, ˈlɛsn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“lessen” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - vermindern

Corpus desk

Index DE-lessen · lessen · German

lessen · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "L" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for lessen
PropertyValue
Headwordlessen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈlɛsən, ˈlɛsn̩]
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „lessen“ im Deutschen

lessensitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

lessen is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [ˈlɛsən, ˈlɛsn̩]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for lessen in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is lessen, spelled L-E-S-S-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    vermindern
  2. 2
    herabsetzen, verkleinern
  3. 3
    weniger werden
  4. 4
    abnehmen, nachlassen

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "lessen"?
"lessen" is spelled L-E-S-S-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈlɛsən, ˈlɛsn̩].
What does "lessen" mean?
As a verb, "lessen" means: vermindern
How do you pronounce "lessen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lessen" is [ˈlɛsən, ˈlɛsn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "lessen" come from?
"lessen" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list