pendeln
[ˈpɛndl̩n]
The verdict
“pendeln” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #21,382 in German word frequency and used as a verb.
- #21,382
- frequency rank, German
- 7
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
- 5
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - hin- und herschwingen wie ein Pendel
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | pendeln |
| Language | German |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | [ˈpɛndl̩n] |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #21,382 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 5 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “pendeln” sits in German frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The German entry for pendeln is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈpɛndl̩n]. Corpus data places it at rank #21,382 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.
Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for pendeln, with forms such as "epndeln", "pedneln", and "penddeln". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "pennen", "pinkeln", "pendelt", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is pendeln, spelled P-E-N-D-E-L-N.
Definition
- 1hin- und herschwingen wie ein Pendel
- 2ständig die gleiche Strecke in wechselnder Richtung fahren
- 3täglich eine große Strecke zwischen Arbeitsplatz und Wohnung zurücklegen
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: epndeln,pedneln,penddeln,pendelln,pendelnn,pendenl,pendlen,penedln,penndeln,pnedeln,ppendeln
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pendeln - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "pendeln"?
What does "pendeln" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "pendeln"?
How do you pronounce "pendeln"?
What language does "pendeln" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “pendeln”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct German spelling is P-E-N-D-E-L-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [ˈpɛndl̩n] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “pennen” - see the side-by-side comparison. pendeln vs pennen
- 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.