sparen

[ˈʃpaːʁən]

/[ˈʃpaːʁən]/ verb

The verdict

“sparen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,904 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,904
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Geld für die spätere Verwendung ansammeln

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

sparen vs spart
67% similar
sparen vs späte
50% similar
sparen vs spüre
67% similar

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

Key facts for sparen
PropertyValue
Headwordsparen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈʃpaːʁən]
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,904
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sparen” 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). sparen 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 sparen is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʃpaːʁən]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,904 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 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 sparen, with forms such as "psaren", "sapren", and "spaern". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "spart", "späte", "spüre", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is sparen, spelled S-P-A-R-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Geld für die spätere Verwendung ansammeln
  2. 2
    weniger Geld ausgeben
  3. 3
    mit einer bestimmten Ressource sparsam umgehen
  4. 4
    auf etwas (meist Unnötiges) verzichten können
  5. 5
    etwas nicht verwenden oder einsetzen
  6. 6
    sich selbst einer bestimmten Anstrengung oder Gefahr nicht aussetzen; sich schonen

Synonyms

beiseitelegenauf die hohe Kante legeneinspareneinschränkenhaushaltenseinlassen

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: psaren,sapren,spaern,sparenn,sparne,sparren,spparen,spraen,ssparen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sparen - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

psaren2sapren2spaern2sparenn1sparne2sparren1spparen1spraen2
Edit distance from "sparen"

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 "sparen"?
"sparen" is spelled S-P-A-R-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃpaːʁən].
What does "sparen" mean?
As a verb, "sparen" means: Geld für die spätere Verwendung ansammeln
What words are commonly confused with "sparen"?
"sparen" is commonly confused with "spart", "späte", "spüre". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sparen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sparen" is [ˈʃpaːʁən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "sparen" come from?
"sparen" 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 “sparen”

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

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