SchäfervsSchauderWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,971
“Schäfer” frequency rank
#46,956
“Schauder” frequency rank
53927
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schäfer Schauder
Definition Beruf, der sich erwerbsmäßig mit dem Halten und Züchten von Schafen beschäftigt plötzliches Gespür von Kälte

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Schäfer and Schauder apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Schäfer
8 ch
Schauder

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schäfer ([ˈʃɛːfɐ]) and Schauder ([ˈʃaʊ̯dɐ]) 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 53927, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schäfer is recorded at frequency rank #6,971, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃɛːfɐ]. Schauder is at rank #46,956, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃaʊ̯dɐ].

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 53927, this pair ranks #1,038,871 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Schäfer vs Schauder

Shared letters: cehrs. Private to "Schäfer": . Private to "Schauder": adu.

"Schäfer" · 7 letters · shape CCCVCVC  ·  "Schauder" · 8 letters · shape CCCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schaudercshauder · scahuder · scchauder · schaduer · schaudder · schauderr · schaudre · schauedr

Frequency comparison

Schäfer#6,971
Schauder#46,956

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schäfer" and "Schauder" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃɛːfɐ] versus [ˈʃaʊ̯dɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schäfer" or "Schauder"?
"Schäfer" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,971 in our German list, against #46,956 for "Schauder". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schäfer vs Schauder

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 “Schäfer” 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