Teil

[taɪ̯l]

/[taɪ̯l]/ noun

The verdict

“Teil” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #238 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#238
frequency rank, German
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ein Element, Stück oder Teilmenge eines Ganzen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Teil vs Tl
50% similar
Teil vs ti
25% similar
Teil vs ten
25% similar

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

Key facts for Teil
PropertyValue
HeadwordTeil
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[taɪ̯l]
Letters4
Frequency rank#238
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Teil” 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). Teil 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 Teil is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [taɪ̯l]. Corpus data places it at rank #238 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 3 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 Teil, with forms such as "etil", "teill", and "teli". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Tl", "ti", "ten", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Teil, spelled T-E-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    ein Element, Stück oder Teilmenge eines Ganzen
  2. 2
    ein Kleidungsstück
  3. 3
    ein beliebiger Gegenstand

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etil,teill,teli,tiel,tteil

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etil2teill1teli2tiel2tteil1
Edit distance from "Teil"

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 "Teil"?
"Teil" is spelled T-E-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is [taɪ̯l].
What does "Teil" mean?
As a noun, "Teil" means: ein Element, Stück oder Teilmenge eines Ganzen
What words are commonly confused with "Teil"?
"Teil" is commonly confused with "Tl", "ti", "ten". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Teil"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Teil" is [taɪ̯l]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Teil" come from?
"Teil" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “Teil”

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

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