treten

[ˈtʁeːtn̩]

/[ˈtʁeːtn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“treten” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,714 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,714
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - mit der Fußsohle berühren, wobei meist das Körpergewicht darauf lastet

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

treten vs Treue
50% similar
treten vs Tüten
50% similar
treten vs Treuen
67% similar

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

Key facts for treten
PropertyValue
Headwordtreten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈtʁeːtn̩]
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,714
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “treten” 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). treten 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 treten is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈtʁeːtn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,714 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 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 treten, with forms such as "rteten", "terten", and "treetn". 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, "Treue", "Tüten", "Treuen", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is treten, spelled T-R-E-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    mit der Fußsohle berühren, wobei meist das Körpergewicht darauf lastet
  2. 2
    ein Pedalfahrzeug mit den Füßen antreiben
  3. 3
    wenige Schritte gehen
  4. 4
    herein- beziehungsweise herauskommen
  5. 5
    mit dem Fuß oder Knie einen Hieb versetzen
  6. 6
    begatten

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rteten,terten,treetn,tretenn,tretne,tretten,trreten,trteen,ttreten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rteten2terten2treetn2tretenn1tretne2tretten1trreten1trteen2
Edit distance from "treten"

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 "treten"?
"treten" is spelled T-R-E-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈtʁeːtn̩].
What does "treten" mean?
As a verb, "treten" means: mit der Fußsohle berühren, wobei meist das Körpergewicht darauf lastet
What words are commonly confused with "treten"?
"treten" is commonly confused with "Treue", "Tüten", "Treuen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "treten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "treten" is [ˈtʁeːtn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "treten" come from?
"treten" 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 “treten”

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

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