rechten

[ˈʁɛçtn̩]

/[ˈʁɛçtn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“rechten” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,090 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,090
frequency rank, German
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - sich (verbal) mit jemandem über oder um etwas streiten (um sein Recht zu behaupten); für sein Recht einstehen, sein Recht von jemandem fordern

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

rechten vs rechts
71% similar
rechten vs Retten
57% similar
rechten vs Reihen
57% similar

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

Key facts for rechten
PropertyValue
Headwordrechten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈʁɛçtn̩]
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,090
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rechten” 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). rechten 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 rechten is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʁɛçtn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,090 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "sich (verbal) mit jemandem über oder um etwas streiten (um sein Recht zu behaupten); für sein Recht einstehen, sein Recht von jemandem fordern".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for rechten, with forms such as "erchten", "rcehten", and "recchten". 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, "rechts", "Retten", "Reihen", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is rechten, spelled R-E-C-H-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    sich (verbal) mit jemandem über oder um etwas streiten (um sein Recht zu behaupten); für sein Recht einstehen, sein Recht von jemandem fordern

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erchten,rcehten,recchten,rechetn,rechhten,rechtenn,rechtne,rechtten,recthen,rehcten,rrechten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erchten2rcehten2recchten1rechetn2rechhten1rechtenn1rechtne2rechtten1
Edit distance from "rechten"

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 "rechten"?
"rechten" is spelled R-E-C-H-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʁɛçtn̩].
What does "rechten" mean?
As a verb, "rechten" means: sich (verbal) mit jemandem über oder um etwas streiten (um sein Recht zu behaupten); für sein Recht einstehen, sein Recht von jemandem fordern
What words are commonly confused with "rechten"?
"rechten" is commonly confused with "rechts", "Retten", "Reihen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rechten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rechten" is [ˈʁɛçtn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "rechten" come from?
"rechten" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “rechten”

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

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