Ziffern

[ˈt͡sɪfɐn]

/[ˈt͡sɪfɐn]/ noun

The verdict

“Ziffern” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #16,060 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,060
frequency rank, German
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Ziffer

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Ziffern vs zittern
57% similar
Ziffern vs zimmern
57% similar
Ziffern vs Ziffer
86% similar

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

Key facts for Ziffern
PropertyValue
HeadwordZiffern
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈt͡sɪfɐn]
Letters7
Frequency rank#16,060
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Ziffern” 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). Ziffern 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 Ziffern is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈt͡sɪfɐn]. Corpus data places it at rank #16,060 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 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 Ziffern, with forms such as "izffern", "zfifern", and "zifefrn". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "zittern", "zimmern", "Ziffer", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No explicit etymology string is stored 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 Ziffern, spelled Z-I-F-F-E-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Ziffer
  2. 2
    Genitiv Plural des Substantivs Ziffer
  3. 3
    Dativ Plural des Substantivs Ziffer
  4. 4
    Akkusativ Plural des Substantivs Ziffer

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: izffern,zfifern,zifefrn,zifern,ziffenr,ziffernn,zifferrn,ziffren,zziffern

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

izffern2zfifern2zifefrn2zifern1ziffenr2ziffernn1zifferrn1ziffren2
Edit distance from "Ziffern"

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 "Ziffern"?
"Ziffern" is spelled Z-I-F-F-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈt͡sɪfɐn].
What does "Ziffern" mean?
As a noun, "Ziffern" means: Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Ziffer
What words are commonly confused with "Ziffern"?
"Ziffern" is commonly confused with "zittern", "zimmern", "Ziffer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Ziffern"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Ziffern" is [ˈt͡sɪfɐn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Ziffern" come from?
"Ziffern" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “Ziffern”

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

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