Stein

[ʃtaɪ̯n]

/[ʃtaɪ̯n]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Stein” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,863 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,863
frequency rank, German
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - mineralisches Material

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Stein vs Stil
60% similar
Stein vs Sven
60% similar
Stein vs step
40% similar

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

Key facts for Stein
PropertyValue
HeadwordStein
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ʃtaɪ̯n]
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,863
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Stein” 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). Stein 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 Stein is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ʃtaɪ̯n]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,863 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 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Stein, with forms such as "setin", "sstein", and "steinn". 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, "Stil", "Sven", "step", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Stein, spelled S-T-E-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    mineralisches Material
  2. 2
    Körper aus mineralischem Material
  3. 3
    Bauelement für Gebäude und Ähnliches, Baustein
  4. 4
    Edelstein, Schmuckstein
  5. 5
    in der Drogenszene Bezeichnung für Crack
  6. 6
    Lager aus Korund oder Granat in einem Uhrwerk
  7. 7
    Denkmal, Grabstein, Leichenstein
  8. 8
    Klumpen harten Materials in Gallenblase, Nase oder Niere
  9. 9
    einfach geformte Spielfigur für Brettspiele
  10. 10
    der große, harte Kern der Steinfrucht

Synonyms

GesteinFelsBrockenBruchFelsenFelstrümmerGesteinsstückWackerBausteinSchmucksteinKonkrementSpielsteinSteinkern

Antonyms

HolzSchach-Figur

This word in other languages

stone(English)piedra(Español)pierre(Français)pedra(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: setin,sstein,steinn,steni,stien,sttein,tsein

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

setin2sstein1steinn1steni2stien2sttein1tsein2
Edit distance from "Stein"

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 "Stein"?
"Stein" is spelled S-T-E-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ʃtaɪ̯n].
What does "Stein" mean?
As a noun, "Stein" means: mineralisches Material
What words are commonly confused with "Stein"?
"Stein" is commonly confused with "Stil", "Sven", "step". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Stein"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Stein" is [ʃtaɪ̯n]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Stein" come from?
"Stein" 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 “Stein”

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

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