Salbei

[ˈzalbaɪ̯]

/[ˈzalbaɪ̯]/ noun

The verdict

“Salbei” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #42,782 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#42,782
frequency rank, German
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Vertreter der Pflanzengattung Salvia aus der Familie der Lippenblütengewächse

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Salbei vs sale
50% similar
Salbei vs selbe
50% similar
Salbei vs sales
50% similar

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

Key facts for Salbei
PropertyValue
HeadwordSalbei
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈzalbaɪ̯]
Letters6
Frequency rank#42,782
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Salbei” 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). Salbei 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 Salbei is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈzalbaɪ̯]. Corpus data places it at rank #42,782 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for Salbei, with forms such as "aslbei", "sablei", and "salbbei". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "sale", "selbe", "sales", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Salbei, spelled S-A-L-B-E-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Vertreter der Pflanzengattung Salvia aus der Familie der Lippenblütengewächse
  2. 2
    speziell der Echte Salbei, Salvia officinalis

Synonyms

Salvia spp.Echter SalbeiGartensalbeiKüchensalbeiHeilsalbeiSalvia officinalis

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aslbei,sablei,salbbei,salbie,salebi,sallbei,slabei,ssalbei

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aslbei2sablei2salbbei1salbie2salebi2sallbei1slabei2ssalbei1
Edit distance from "Salbei"

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 "Salbei"?
"Salbei" is spelled S-A-L-B-E-I. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈzalbaɪ̯].
What does "Salbei" mean?
As a noun, "Salbei" means: Vertreter der Pflanzengattung Salvia aus der Familie der Lippenblütengewächse
What words are commonly confused with "Salbei"?
"Salbei" is commonly confused with "sale", "selbe", "sales". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Salbei"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Salbei" is [ˈzalbaɪ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Salbei" come from?
"Salbei" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “Salbei”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-A-L-B-E-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈzalbaɪ̯] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “sale” - see the side-by-side comparison. Salbei vs sale
  • 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