Stele

[ˈʃteːlə]

/[ˈʃteːlə]/ noun

The verdict

“Stele” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #40,226 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#40,226
frequency rank, German
5
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Grabstein, Gedenkstein der Antike, Pfeiler mit einer Inschrift- oder Bildtafel; heute auch moderne freistehende Informationstafel

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Stele vs Stil
60% similar
Stele vs step
40% similar
Stele vs stolz
40% similar

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

Key facts for Stele
PropertyValue
HeadwordStele
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈʃteːlə]
Letters5
Frequency rank#40,226
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Stele” 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). Stele 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 Stele is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʃteːlə]. Corpus data places it at rank #40,226 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for Stele, with forms such as "setle", "sstele", and "stlee". 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", "step", "stolz", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Stele, spelled S-T-E-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Grabstein, Gedenkstein der Antike, Pfeiler mit einer Inschrift- oder Bildtafel; heute auch moderne freistehende Informationstafel
  2. 2
    Leitbündelstrang im Spross, Blatt oder in der Wurzel von Pflanzen

Synonyms

GrabsäuleLeitgewebe

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: setle,sstele,stlee,sttele,tsele

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

setle2sstele1stlee2sttele1tsele2
Edit distance from "Stele"

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 "Stele"?
"Stele" is spelled S-T-E-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃteːlə].
What does "Stele" mean?
As a noun, "Stele" means: Grabstein, Gedenkstein der Antike, Pfeiler mit einer Inschrift- oder Bildtafel; heute auch moderne freistehende Informationstafel
What words are commonly confused with "Stele"?
"Stele" is commonly confused with "Stil", "step", "stolz". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Stele"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Stele" is [ˈʃteːlə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Stele" come from?
"Stele" 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 “Stele”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-T-E-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈʃteːlə] (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. Stele 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