Which to use
“gescheitert” is an adjective and “geschmiert” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,595
- “gescheitert” frequency rank
- #24,358
- “geschmiert” frequency rank
- 29953
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gescheitert | geschmiert |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | erfolglos geblieben, etwas nicht verwirklicht, ein Ziel nicht erreicht | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs schmieren |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gescheitert and geschmiert apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: gescheitert is [ɡəˈʃaɪ̯tɐt] while geschmiert is [ɡəˈʃmiːɐ̯t]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29953, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
gescheitert is recorded at frequency rank #5,595, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈʃaɪ̯tɐt]. geschmiert is at rank #24,358, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈʃmiːɐ̯t].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 29953, this pair ranks #1,757,113 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of gescheitert vs geschmiert
Shared letters: ceghirst. Private to "gescheitert": -. Private to "geschmiert": m.
"gescheitert" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVVCVCC · "geschmiert" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- gescheitert ← egscheitert · gecsheitert · gesccheitert · gescehitert · gescheietrt · gescheiterrt · gescheitertt · gescheitetr
- geschmiert ← egschmiert · gecshmiert · gescchmiert · geschhmiert · geschimert · geschmeirt · geschmierrt · geschmiertt
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "gescheitert" and "geschmiert" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "gescheitert" or "geschmiert"?
Remembering gescheitert vs geschmiert
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “gescheitert”; for a verb, it's “geschmiert”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “gescheitert” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable