geschmolzenvsgeschwollenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“geschmolzen” and “geschwollen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#29,149
“geschmolzen” frequency rank
#33,080
“geschwollen” frequency rank
62229
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature geschmolzen geschwollen
Definition Partizip Perfekt des Verbs schmelzen Partizip Perfekt des Verbs schwellen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set geschmolzen and geschwollen apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
geschmolzen
11 ch
geschwollen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. geschmolzen ([ɡəˈʃmɔlt͡sn̩]) and geschwollen ([ɡəˈʃvɔlən]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62229, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

geschmolzen is recorded at frequency rank #29,149, classified as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈʃmɔlt͡sn̩]. geschwollen is at rank #33,080, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈʃvɔlən].

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 62229, this pair ranks #720,573 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of geschmolzen vs geschwollen

Shared letters: ceghlnos. Private to "geschmolzen": mz. Private to "geschwollen": w.

"geschmolzen" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCCVCCVC  ·  "geschwollen" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • geschmolzenegschmolzen · gecshmolzen · gescchmolzen · geschhmolzen · geschmlozen · geschmmolzen · geschmolezn · geschmollzen
  • geschwollenegschwollen · gecshwollen · gescchwollen · geschhwollen · geschowllen · geschwlolen · geschwoleln · geschwolen

Frequency comparison

geschmolzen#29,149
geschwollen#33,080

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "geschmolzen" and "geschwollen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈʃmɔlt͡sn̩] versus [ɡəˈʃvɔlən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "geschmolzen" or "geschwollen"?
"geschmolzen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #29,149 in our German list, against #33,080 for "geschwollen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering geschmolzen vs geschwollen

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “geschmolzen” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list