wachsen

[ˈvaksn̩]

/[ˈvaksn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“wachsen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #2,868 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,868
frequency rank, German
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - allmählich größer werden; von der Größe, vom Umfang her zunehmen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

wachsen vs Wochen
57% similar
wachsen vs wählen
57% similar
wachsen vs wächst
57% similar

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

Key facts for wachsen
PropertyValue
Headwordwachsen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈvaksn̩]
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,868
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wachsen” 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). wachsen 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 wachsen is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈvaksn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #2,868 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 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for wachsen, with forms such as "awchsen", "wacchsen", and "wachesn". 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, "Wochen", "wählen", "wächst", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is wachsen, spelled W-A-C-H-S-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    allmählich größer werden; von der Größe, vom Umfang her zunehmen
  2. 2
    sich im Laufe des Wachsens¹ entwickeln; an einer bestimmten Stelle vorkommen und gedeihen
  3. 3
    im Laufe der Zeit länger werden; an Länge gewinnen
  4. 4
    sich in gewisser Weise im Wachstum entwickeln
  5. 5
    in der Größe, in der Menge, im Ausmaß steigen
  6. 6
    von der Stärke, von der Bedeutung her zunehmen

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: awchsen,wacchsen,wachesn,wachhsen,wachsenn,wachsne,wachssen,wacshen,wahcsen,wcahsen,wwachsen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

awchsen2wacchsen1wachesn2wachhsen1wachsenn1wachsne2wachssen1wacshen2
Edit distance from "wachsen"

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 "wachsen"?
"wachsen" is spelled W-A-C-H-S-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈvaksn̩].
What does "wachsen" mean?
As a verb, "wachsen" means: allmählich größer werden; von der Größe, vom Umfang her zunehmen
What words are commonly confused with "wachsen"?
"wachsen" is commonly confused with "Wochen", "wählen", "wächst". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wachsen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wachsen" is [ˈvaksn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "wachsen" come from?
"wachsen" 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 “wachsen”

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

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