Which to use
“sammeln” and “säumen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,784
- “sammeln” frequency rank
- #42,857
- “säumen” frequency rank
- 45641
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sammeln | säumen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | systematisch suchen, erhalten und aufbewahren einer abgegrenzten Art beziehungsweise Kategorie bestimmter Gegenstände oder Informationen | mit einem Saum versehen |
Where the eye mixes sammeln and säumen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. sammeln runs 7 letters (CVCCVCC) against säumen's 6 (CVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses sammeln with säumen
A purely visual mix-up. sammeln ([ˈzaml̩n]) and säumen ([ˈzɔɪ̯mən]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45641, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sammeln is recorded at frequency rank #2,784, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈzaml̩n]. säumen is at rank #42,857, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈzɔɪ̯mən].
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 45641, this pair ranks #1,346,105 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of sammeln vs säumen
Shared letters: emns. Private to "sammeln": al. Private to "säumen": uä.
"sammeln" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC · "säumen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- sammeln ← asmmeln · sameln · samemln · sammelln · sammelnn · sammenl · sammlen · smameln
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "sammeln" for "säumen" ever safe?
Which is more common, "sammeln" or "säumen"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "sammeln" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "säumen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,346,105 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sammeln" and "säumen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "säumen vs Stuten". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,346,105 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.