patzen

[ˈpat͡sn̩]

/[ˈpat͡sn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“patzen” 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) - einen nicht so gravierenden Fehler (Patzer) begehen

Corpus desk

Index DE-patzen · patzen · German

patzen · 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 "P" 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 patzen
PropertyValue
Headwordpatzen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈpat͡sn̩]
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „patzen“ im Deutschen

patzensitzt 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

patzen is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [ˈpat͡sn̩]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for patzen, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is patzen, spelled P-A-T-Z-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    einen nicht so gravierenden Fehler (Patzer) begehen
  2. 2
    klecksen

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. „Susann hatte wieder gepatzt bei der Schrittfolge. „Susann, Herrgott noch mal! Konzentrier dich gefälligst!““
  2. „Was kann ich denn dafür, wenn meine Feder immer patzt?, fragt sie sich beim Betrachten der Kleckse.“

This word in other languages

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 "patzen"?
"patzen" is spelled P-A-T-Z-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈpat͡sn̩].
What does "patzen" mean?
As a verb, "patzen" means: einen nicht so gravierenden Fehler (Patzer) begehen
How do you pronounce "patzen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "patzen" is [ˈpat͡sn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "patzen" come from?
"patzen" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list