Mensch

[mɛnʃ]

/[mɛnʃ]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Mensch” has 10 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #533. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#533
frequency rank, German
3,571
“M” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Lebewesen; Spezies, der Klasse der Säugetiere angehörend, die sich durch folgende besondere Eigenschaften auszeichnet: aufrechter Gang, Sprache, Erfindertum, Vorausdenken und Nachahmung

Corpus desk

Index DE-mensch · Mensch · German

Mensch · rank #533 · 10 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #533
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,571
  • PHOTO-FINISH Mädchen

Nearest frequency peer: Mädchen (+1 rank slots)

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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “Mensch”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “Mensch” sits against the nearest ranked German headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Mensch vs Mönch
67% similar
Mensch vs misch
50% similar
Mensch vs merch
50% similar

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

Key facts for Mensch
PropertyValue
HeadwordMensch
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[mɛnʃ]
Letters6
Frequency rank#533
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Mensch” 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). Mensch lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around Mensch (IPA [mɛnʃ]), anoun. Corpus frequency is #533 among 3,571 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for Mensch, with forms such as "emnsch", "mencsh", and "mennsch". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "Mönch", "misch", "merch", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Mensch, spelled M-E-N-S-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lebewesen; Spezies, der Klasse der Säugetiere angehörend, die sich durch folgende besondere Eigenschaften auszeichnet: aufrechter Gang, Sprache, Erfindertum, Vorausdenken und Nachahmung
  2. 2
    [1] als einzelnes Individuum

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Mensch appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. "Was für ein grobes Tier ist der Mensch! Alles / was die Natur gutes tut entstellt er, / sie macht eine Sache einfach und rein / und er mit seinen Händen wandelt sie um." (Original vec: "Gran bestia che xe l’omo! Lu defforma / tutto quel che de ben fa la natura, / ella una cossa fa semplice, e pura, / e lu colle so man el la trasforma.")
  2. „Beim Stierkampf (Corrida), dem in südlichen Ländern häufig noch Kultcharakter zukommt und der dort als hohe Kunst betrieben wird, stehen sich Mensch und Tier in einem gefährlichen Zweikampf gegenüber.“

Synonyms

JetztmenschHomo sapiensHomo sapiens sapiensErdenbürgerErdlingErdenmenschErdmenschIndividuumPersonJemandMenschenkindTypLeute

This word in other languages

human being(English)ser humano(Español)être humain(Français)homem(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • emnsch
  • mencsh
  • mennsch
  • menscch
  • menschh
  • menshc
  • menssch
  • mesnch
  • mmensch
  • mnesch

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

emnsch2mencsh2mennsch1menscch1menschh1menshc2menssch1mesnch2
Edit distance from "Mensch"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Mensch"?
"Mensch" is spelled M-E-N-S-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is [mɛnʃ].
What does "Mensch" mean?
As a noun, "Mensch" means: Lebewesen; Spezies, der Klasse der Säugetiere angehörend, die sich durch folgende besondere Eigenschaften auszeichnet: aufrechter Gang, Sprache, Erfindertum, Vorausdenken und Nachahmung
What words are commonly confused with "Mensch"?
"Mensch" is commonly confused with "Mönch", "misch", "merch". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Mensch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Mensch" is [mɛnʃ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Mensch" come from?
"Mensch" 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.

Similar German words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "Mensch", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked German headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

bringt#530eigene#540fahren#541Stelle#525

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Bereich10 variantsgegeben10 variantsFreunde10 variantsPolitik10 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "Mensch". Here's where to go from here.

  • "Mensch" maps to 9 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "Mönch". View pair
  • 10 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #533 among German headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more German words in the "M" letter cohort. M–Z browse

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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