merk

[mɛʁk]

/[mɛʁk]/ verb

The verdict

“merk” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #12,537 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#12,537
frequency rank, German
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs merken

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

merk vs Mr
25% similar
merk vs Mk
25% similar
merk vs mir
50% similar

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

Key facts for merk
PropertyValue
Headwordmerk
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[mɛʁk]
Letters4
Frequency rank#12,537
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “merk” 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). merk 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 merk is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [mɛʁk]. Corpus data places it at rank #12,537 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs merken".

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for merk, with forms such as "mekr", "merkk", and "merrk". 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, "Mr", "Mk", "mir", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology 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 merk, spelled M-E-R-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs merken

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mekr,merkk,merrk,mmerk,mrek

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mekr2merkk1merrk1mmerk1mrek2
Edit distance from "merk"

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 "merk"?
"merk" is spelled M-E-R-K. The IPA pronunciation is [mɛʁk].
What does "merk" mean?
As a verb, "merk" means: 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs merken
What words are commonly confused with "merk"?
"merk" is commonly confused with "Mr", "Mk", "mir". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "merk"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "merk" is [mɛʁk]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "merk" come from?
"merk" 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 “merk”

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

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