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 eye mixes schädigt and schweigt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. schädigt (CCCVCVCC) and schweigt (CCCCVVCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses schädigt with schweigt
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": dä. Private to "schweigt": ew.
"schädigt" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCVCC · "schweigt" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- schweigt ← cshweigt · scchweigt · schewigt · schhweigt · schwegit · schweiggt · schweigtt · schweitg
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "schädigt" for "schweigt" ever safe?
Frequency check: "schädigt" vs "schweigt" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "schädigt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "schweigt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,218,572 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "schädigt" and "schweigt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schäbig vs schädigt". 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 #1,218,572 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.