offen

[ˈɔfn̩]

/[ˈɔfn̩]/ adj

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

The verdict

“offen” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #888 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#888
frequency rank, German
5
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - nicht geschlossen, zum Beispiel als Zustandsbeschreibung einer Eingangsmöglichkeit

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

offen vs open
60% similar
offen vs Owen
40% similar
offen vs offs
60% similar

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

Key facts for offen
PropertyValue
Headwordoffen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈɔfn̩]
Letters5
Frequency rank#888
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “offen” 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). offen 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 offen is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈɔfn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #888 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for offen, with forms such as "fofen", "ofefn", and "offenn". 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, "open", "Owen", "offs", 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 offen, spelled O-F-F-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    nicht geschlossen, zum Beispiel als Zustandsbeschreibung einer Eingangsmöglichkeit
  2. 2
    nicht versperrt, weil nichts im Wege ist, zum Beispiel weder ein körperliches Hindernis noch ein Verbot
  3. 3
    nicht verschlossen, nicht verpackt
  4. 4
    noch nicht entschieden
  5. 5
    ohne Zurückhaltung
  6. 6
    ohne nötige Vorsicht
  7. 7
    phonetisches (artikulatorisches) Merkmal der tiefen Vokale

Synonyms

geöffnetunverschlossenöffentlichzugänglichloseungewissfreimütigoffenherzigtief

Antonyms

geschlossenverriegeltverschlossenzugesperrtversperrtverpacktbeschlossenentschiedenreserviertzurückhaltenddefensivgeschlossenhoch

This word in other languages

open(English)abierto(Español)ouvert(Français)aberto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: fofen,ofefn,offenn,offne

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fofen2ofefn2offenn1offne2
Edit distance from "offen"

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 "offen"?
"offen" is spelled O-F-F-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɔfn̩].
What does "offen" mean?
As an adjective, "offen" means: nicht geschlossen, zum Beispiel als Zustandsbeschreibung einer Eingangsmöglichkeit
What words are commonly confused with "offen"?
"offen" is commonly confused with "open", "Owen", "offs". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "offen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "offen" is [ˈɔfn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "offen" come from?
"offen" 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 “offen”

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

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