schädigtvsschweigtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#36,012
“schädigt” frequency rank
#13,234
“schweigt” frequency rank
49246
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature schädigt schweigt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schädigen 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schweigen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set schädigt and schweigt apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
schädigt
8 ch
schweigt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. schädigt ([ˈʃɛːdɪçt]) and schweigt ([ʃvaɪ̯kt]) 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 49246, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

schädigt is recorded at frequency rank #36,012, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃɛːdɪçt]. schweigt is at rank #13,234, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃvaɪ̯kt].

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 49246, this pair ranks #1,218,572 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of schädigt vs schweigt

Shared letters: cghist. Private to "schädigt": . Private to "schweigt": ew.

"schädigt" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCVCC  ·  "schweigt" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • schweigtcshweigt · scchweigt · schewigt · schhweigt · schwegit · schweiggt · schweigtt · schweitg

Frequency comparison

schädigt#36,012
schweigt#13,234

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "schädigt" and "schweigt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃɛːdɪçt] versus [ʃvaɪ̯kt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "schädigt" or "schweigt"?
"schweigt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,234 in our German list, against #36,012 for "schädigt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering schädigt vs schweigt

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 “schädigt” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list