packen

Name: packen, German Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

[ˈpakn̩]

/[ˈpakn̩]/ verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“packen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #4,546 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#4,546
frequency rank, German: 6
letters: 9
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas zusammenlegen, zusammenfalten, wegräumen, in eine gepackte Form (Bündel, Packen, Paket) bringen, zubinden, zusammenkleben, in eine Verpackung tun

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

packen vs Paket

50% similar

packen vs packt

67% similar

packen vs Packs

50% similar

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

Key facts for packen
Property	Value
Headword	packen
Language	German
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	[ˈpakn̩]
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#4,546
Misspellings tracked	9
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “packen” 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). packen lands here:

#4,546

#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 packen is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈpakn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #4,546 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 packen, with forms such as "apcken", "paccken", and "pacekn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Paket", "packt", "Packs", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is packen, spelled P-A-C-K-E-N.

Definition

1
etwas zusammenlegen, zusammenfalten, wegräumen, in eine gepackte Form (Bündel, Packen, Paket) bringen, zubinden, zusammenkleben, in eine Verpackung tun
2
jemanden oder etwas mit den Händen oder Ähnlichem, mit einem Werkzeug ergreifen, anfassen
3
jemanden innerlich im übertragenen Sinn stark ergreifen, berühren, fesseln; einen starken Eindruck, ein starkes Gefühl hervorrufen
4
reflexiv, schnell verschwinden, sich wegbegeben, sich entfernen, fliehen, flüchten; zusehen, dass man weg kommt
5
transitiv, etwas zustande bringen

This word in other languages

pack(English)empacar(Español)emballer(Français)colocar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apcken,paccken,pacekn,packenn,packken,packne,pakcen,pcaken,ppacken

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "packen"

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 "packen"?

"packen" is spelled P-A-C-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈpakn̩].

What does "packen" mean?

As a verb, "packen" means: etwas zusammenlegen, zusammenfalten, wegräumen, in eine gepackte Form (Bündel, Packen, Paket) bringen, zubinden, zusammenkleben, in eine Verpackung tun

What words are commonly confused with "packen"?

"packen" is commonly confused with "Paket", "packt", "Packs". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "packen"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "packen" is [ˈpakn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What language does "packen" come from?

"packen" 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 “packen”

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

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