peilen

[ˈpaɪ̯lən]

/[ˈpaɪ̯lən]/ verb

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

The verdict

“peilen” is an uncommon German word, ranked #72,801 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#72,801
frequency rank, German
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - die Richtung, Ausrichtung oder Position bestimmen

Key facts for peilen
PropertyValue
Headwordpeilen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈpaɪ̯lən]
Letters6
Frequency rank#72,801
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “peilen” 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). peilen 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 peilen is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈpaɪ̯lən]. Corpus data places it at rank #72,801 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for peilen, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is peilen, spelled P-E-I-L-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    die Richtung, Ausrichtung oder Position bestimmen
  2. 2
    die Tiefe eines Gewässers bestimmen
  3. 3
    übertragen, eine Situation oder einen Sachverhalt verstehen

Synonyms

kapierenraffen

This word in other languages

suss(English)pillar(Español)sonder(Français)sondar(Português)

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 "peilen"?
"peilen" is spelled P-E-I-L-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈpaɪ̯lən].
What does "peilen" mean?
As a verb, "peilen" means: die Richtung, Ausrichtung oder Position bestimmen
How do you pronounce "peilen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "peilen" is [ˈpaɪ̯lən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "peilen" come from?
"peilen" 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 “peilen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is P-E-I-L-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈpaɪ̯lən] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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