Which to use
“Schächte” and “Schwäche” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #42,799
- “Schächte” frequency rank
- #6,003
- “Schwäche” frequency rank
- 48802
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schächte | Schwäche |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Schacht | mangelnde körperliche oder geistige Kraft |
Where the eye mixes Schächte and Schwäche
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. Schächte (CCCVCCCV) and Schwäche (CCCCVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses Schächte with Schwäche
A purely visual mix-up. Schächte ([ˈʃɛçtə]) and Schwäche ([ˈʃvɛçə]) 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 4 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48802, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Schächte is recorded at frequency rank #42,799, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃɛçtə]. Schwäche is at rank #6,003, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃvɛçə].
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 48802, this pair ranks #1,235,098 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Schächte vs Schwäche
Shared letters: cehsä. Private to "Schächte": t. Private to "Schwäche": w.
"Schächte" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCCCV · "Schwäche" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Schächte" for "Schwäche" ever safe?
Frequency check: "Schächte" vs "Schwäche" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "Schächte" and "Schwäche" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Schächte" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Schwäche" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,235,098 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Schächte" and "Schwäche" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sachte vs Schächte". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,235,098 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.