Wespe

[ˈvɛspə]

/[ˈvɛspə]/ noun

The verdict

“Wespe” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #37,896 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#37,896
frequency rank, German
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - schwarz-gelbes, stachelbewehrtes Insekt der Faltenwespen mit längsgefalteten Vorderflügeln und starken Oberkiefern

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Wespe vs West
60% similar
Wespe vs wise
40% similar
Wespe vs Wette
60% similar

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

Key facts for Wespe
PropertyValue
HeadwordWespe
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈvɛspə]
Letters5
Frequency rank#37,896
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Wespe” 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). Wespe 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 Wespe is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈvɛspə]. Corpus data places it at rank #37,896 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Wespe, with forms such as "ewspe", "wepse", and "wesep". 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, "West", "wise", "Wette", 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 easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Wespe, spelled W-E-S-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    schwarz-gelbes, stachelbewehrtes Insekt der Faltenwespen mit längsgefalteten Vorderflügeln und starken Oberkiefern
  2. 2
    wespenartig aussehender Vertreter von diversen Familien der Hautflügler

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ewspe,wepse,wesep,wesppe,wesspe,wsepe,wwespe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ewspe2wepse2wesep2wesppe1wesspe1wsepe2wwespe1
Edit distance from "Wespe"

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 "Wespe"?
"Wespe" is spelled W-E-S-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈvɛspə].
What does "Wespe" mean?
As a noun, "Wespe" means: schwarz-gelbes, stachelbewehrtes Insekt der Faltenwespen mit längsgefalteten Vorderflügeln und starken Oberkiefern
What words are commonly confused with "Wespe"?
"Wespe" is commonly confused with "West", "wise", "Wette". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Wespe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Wespe" is [ˈvɛspə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Wespe" come from?
"Wespe" 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 “Wespe”

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

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