Seele

[ˈzeːlə]

/[ˈzeːlə]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Seele” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,711 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,711
frequency rank, German
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - charakteristisches Merkmal lebender Wesen; der unsterbliche Teil der (fühlenden) Lebewesen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Seele vs sel
40% similar
Seele vs sehe
40% similar
Seele vs Seen
60% similar

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

Key facts for Seele
PropertyValue
HeadwordSeele
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈzeːlə]
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,711
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Seele” 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). Seele 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 Seele is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈzeːlə]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,711 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for Seele, with forms such as "esele", "seeel", and "seelle". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "sel", "sehe", "Seen", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Seele, spelled S-E-E-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    charakteristisches Merkmal lebender Wesen; der unsterbliche Teil der (fühlenden) Lebewesen
  2. 2
    die Gefühlswelt eines Lebewesens, ursprünglich nur bei Menschen, später auch den Tieren (wie ein täglich begleitendes Reitpferd oder Haustiere) und anderen Lebewesen zu- oder anerkannt
  3. 3
    gutwillige Instanz
  4. 4
    Mitglied oder Einwohner einer (Kirchen-)Gemeinde
  5. 5
    Botschaft eines Musikstückes
  6. 6
    Inneres eines Seiles, Kabels oder Ähnlichem
  7. 7
    das Innere oder die Füllung manchen Lötzinns mit Flussmittel
  8. 8
    Innenbauteil (der Stimmstock) einer Violine oder anderer Saiteninstrumente
  9. 9
    Hohlraum, zum Beispiel eines Gewehrlaufs oder der Achse eines Korkenziehers
  10. 10
    süddeutsche Brotspezialität

Synonyms

GeistGefühlslebenGefühlsweltPsycheHerzGemeindegliedSchäfchenBotschaft

Antonyms

KörperLeibGeistVerstandBiestEisblockSchuftSchweinTeufel

This word in other languages

soul(English)alma(Español)âme(Français)alma(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: esele,seeel,seelle,sele,selee,sseele

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Seele - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

esele2seeel2seelle1sele1selee2sseele1
Edit distance from "Seele"

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 "Seele"?
"Seele" is spelled S-E-E-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈzeːlə].
What does "Seele" mean?
As a noun, "Seele" means: charakteristisches Merkmal lebender Wesen; der unsterbliche Teil der (fühlenden) Lebewesen
What words are commonly confused with "Seele"?
"Seele" is commonly confused with "sel", "sehe", "Seen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Seele"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Seele" is [ˈzeːlə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Seele" come from?
"Seele" 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 “Seele”

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

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