Strafe

[ˈʃtʁaːfə]

/[ˈʃtʁaːfə]/ noun

The verdict

“Strafe” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #2,557 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,557
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sanktion, wegen Fehlverhalten erhaltene Reaktion

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Strafe vs Stufe
67% similar
Strafe vs Strand
67% similar
Strafe vs Strahl
67% similar

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

Key facts for Strafe
PropertyValue
HeadwordStrafe
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈʃtʁaːfə]
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,557
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Strafe” 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). Strafe 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 Strafe is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʃtʁaːfə]. Corpus data places it at rank #2,557 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 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 Strafe, with forms such as "srtafe", "sstrafe", and "starfe". 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, "Stufe", "Strand", "Strahl", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Strafe, spelled S-T-R-A-F-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sanktion, wegen Fehlverhalten erhaltene Reaktion
  2. 2
    Geldstrafe

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: srtafe,sstrafe,starfe,straef,straffe,strfae,strrafe,sttrafe,tsrafe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

srtafe2sstrafe1starfe2straef2straffe1strfae2strrafe1sttrafe1
Edit distance from "Strafe"

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 "Strafe"?
"Strafe" is spelled S-T-R-A-F-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃtʁaːfə].
What does "Strafe" mean?
As a noun, "Strafe" means: Sanktion, wegen Fehlverhalten erhaltene Reaktion
What words are commonly confused with "Strafe"?
"Strafe" is commonly confused with "Stufe", "Strand", "Strahl". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Strafe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Strafe" is [ˈʃtʁaːfə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Strafe" come from?
"Strafe" 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 “Strafe”

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

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