tändeln

[ˈtɛndl̩n]

/[ˈtɛndl̩n]/ verb

The verdict

“tändeln” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - etwas leichthin/oberflächlich/ohne Ernst tun, verspielt sein

Corpus desk

Index DE-tandeln · tändeln · German

tändeln · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "T" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for tändeln
PropertyValue
Headwordtändeln
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈtɛndl̩n]
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „tändeln“ im Deutschen

tändelnliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tändeln is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [ˈtɛndl̩n]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for tändeln in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is tändeln, spelled T-Ä-N-D-E-L-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas leichthin/oberflächlich/ohne Ernst tun, verspielt sein
  2. 2
    mit jemandem flirten

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how tändeln appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. „Die beiden Frauen tändelten danach wieder versöhnt am Meer herum und gingen an uns vorbei, als hätten sie uns nie gekannt.“

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tändeln"?
"tändeln" is spelled T-Ä-N-D-E-L-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈtɛndl̩n].
What does "tändeln" mean?
As a verb, "tändeln" means: etwas leichthin/oberflächlich/ohne Ernst tun, verspielt sein
How do you pronounce "tändeln"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tändeln" is [ˈtɛndl̩n]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tändeln" come from?
"tändeln" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list