stechen

[ˈʃtɛçn̩]

/[ˈʃtɛçn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

“stechen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #9,986 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#9,986
frequency rank, German
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - einen spitzen Gegenstand wie eine Nadel in einen anderen Gegenstand treiben

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

stechen vs stehe
71% similar
stechen vs stehn
71% similar
stechen vs stehen
86% similar

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

Key facts for stechen
PropertyValue
Headwordstechen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈʃtɛçn̩]
Letters7
Frequency rank#9,986
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stechen” 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). stechen 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 stechen is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʃtɛçn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #9,986 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for stechen, with forms such as "setchen", "sstechen", and "stcehen". 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, "stehe", "stehn", "stehen", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is stechen, spelled S-T-E-C-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    einen spitzen Gegenstand wie eine Nadel in einen anderen Gegenstand treiben
  2. 2
    jemanden oder sich selbst durch einen Stich verletzen
  3. 3
    als Tier (Biene) oder auch Pflanze (Dornen, Nadeln) Personen mit stechenden Werkzeugen verletzen
  4. 4
    Schmerzen oder Ähnliches, die sich wie ein Stich anfühlen, bereiten
  5. 5
    als brennende Sonne unangenehm für die Haut und das Wohlbefinden sein
  6. 6
    eine höherwertige Karte auf den Tisch legen
  7. 7
    Bilder in Kupfer oder Stahl einritzen
  8. 8
    unentschiedenen Wettkampf durch Wiederholung entscheiden
  9. 9
    den Geschlechtsakt ausüben

Synonyms

pikenpiksen

This word in other languages

sting(English)pinchar(Español)piquer(Français)furar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: setchen,sstechen,stcehen,stecchen,stecehn,stechenn,stechhen,stechne,stehcen,sttechen,tsechen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

setchen2sstechen1stcehen2stecchen1stecehn2stechenn1stechhen1stechne2
Edit distance from "stechen"

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 "stechen"?
"stechen" is spelled S-T-E-C-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃtɛçn̩].
What does "stechen" mean?
As a verb, "stechen" means: einen spitzen Gegenstand wie eine Nadel in einen anderen Gegenstand treiben
What words are commonly confused with "stechen"?
"stechen" is commonly confused with "stehe", "stehn", "stehen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "stechen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stechen" is [ˈʃtɛçn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "stechen" come from?
"stechen" 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 “stechen”

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

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