selben

[ˈzɛlbn̩]

/[ˈzɛlbn̩]/ unknown

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

The verdict

“selben” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,712 in German word frequency and used as an unknown.

#1,712
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Nominativ Plural des Demonstrativpronomens selbe

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

selben vs seven
67% similar
selben vs Silbe
50% similar
selben vs Serbe
50% similar

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

Key facts for selben
PropertyValue
Headwordselben
LanguageGerman
Part of speechUnknown
IPA[ˈzɛlbn̩]
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,712
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “selben” 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). selben 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 selben is 6 letters long, classified as an unknown, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈzɛlbn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,712 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for selben, with forms such as "eslben", "seblen", and "selbben". 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, "seven", "Silbe", "Serbe", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is selben, spelled S-E-L-B-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nominativ Plural des Demonstrativpronomens selbe
  2. 2
    Genitiv Singular Maskulinum des Demonstrativpronomens selbe
  3. 3
    Genitiv Singular Femininum des Demonstrativpronomens selbe
  4. 4
    Genitiv Singular Neutrum des Demonstrativpronomens selbe
  5. 5
    Genitiv Plural des Demonstrativpronomens selbe
  6. 6
    Dativ Singular Maskulinum des Demonstrativpronomens selbe
  7. 7
    Dativ Singular Femininum des Demonstrativpronomens selbe
  8. 8
    Dativ Singular Neutrum des Demonstrativpronomens selbe
  9. 9
    Dativ Plural des Demonstrativpronomens selbe
  10. 10
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum des Demonstrativpronomens selbe
  11. 11
    Akkusativ Plural des Demonstrativpronomens selbe

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eslben,seblen,selbben,selbenn,selbne,selebn,sellben,sleben,sselben

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eslben2seblen2selbben1selbenn1selbne2selebn2sellben1sleben2
Edit distance from "selben"

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 "selben"?
"selben" is spelled S-E-L-B-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈzɛlbn̩].
What does "selben" mean?
As an unknown, "selben" means: Nominativ Plural des Demonstrativpronomens selbe
What words are commonly confused with "selben"?
"selben" is commonly confused with "seven", "Silbe", "Serbe". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "selben"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "selben" is [ˈzɛlbn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "selben" come from?
"selben" 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 “selben”

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

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