wählten

[ˈvɛːltn̩]

/[ˈvɛːltn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“wählten” has 11 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #14,468. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,468
frequency rank, German
38,697
“W” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs wählen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

wählten vs warten
57% similar
wählten vs Walter
43% similar
wählten vs Welten
57% similar

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

Key facts for wählten
PropertyValue
Headwordwählten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈvɛːltn̩]
Letters7
Frequency rank#14,468
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wählten” 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). wählten lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around wählten (IPA [ˈvɛːltn̩]), averb. Corpus frequency is #14,468 among 38,697 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for wählten, with forms such as "whälten", "wwählten", and "wähhlten". 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, "warten", "Walter", "Welten", 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 easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is wählten, spelled W-Ä-H-L-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs wählen
  2. 2
    1. Person Plural Konjunktiv II Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs wählen
  3. 3
    3. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs wählen
  4. 4
    3. Person Plural Konjunktiv II Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs wählen

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • whälten
  • wwählten
  • wähhlten
  • wähletn
  • wähllten
  • wähltenn
  • wähltne
  • wähltten
  • wähtlen
  • wälhten
  • äwhlten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

whälten2wwählten1wähhlten1wähletn2wähllten1wähltenn1wähltne2wähltten1
Edit distance from "wählten"

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 "wählten"?
"wählten" is spelled W-Ä-H-L-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈvɛːltn̩].
What does "wählten" mean?
As a verb, "wählten" means: 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs wählen
What words are commonly confused with "wählten"?
"wählten" is commonly confused with "warten", "Walter", "Welten". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wählten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wählten" is [ˈvɛːltn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "wählten" come from?
"wählten" 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 “wählten”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is W-Ä-H-L-T-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈvɛːltn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “warten” - see the side-by-side comparison. wählten vs warten
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Same frequency band

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