SchalevsSchauerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#8,451
“Schale” frequency rank
#14,402
“Schauer” frequency rank
22853
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schale Schauer
Definition eine feste Schutzhülle, zum Beispiel bei Früchten, Samen, Vogeleiern, Lebensmitteln Regenschauer: kurzer, heftiger Niederschlag analog: Schneeschauer

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Schale
7 ch
Schauer

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schale ([ˈʃaːlə]) and Schauer ([ˈʃaʊ̯ɐ]) 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 22853, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schale is recorded at frequency rank #8,451, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃaːlə]. Schauer is at rank #14,402, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃaʊ̯ɐ].

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 22853, this pair ranks #1,868,902 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Schale vs Schauer

Shared letters: acehs. Private to "Schale": l. Private to "Schauer": ru.

"Schale" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCV  ·  "Schauer" · 7 letters · shape CCCVVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schalecshale · scahle · scchale · schael · schalle · schhale · schlae · shcale
  • Schauercshauer · scahuer · scchauer · schaeur · schauerr · schaure · schhauer · schuaer

Frequency comparison

Schale#8,451
Schauer#14,402

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schale" and "Schauer" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃaːlə] versus [ˈʃaʊ̯ɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schale" or "Schauer"?
"Schale" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,451 in our German list, against #14,402 for "Schauer". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schale vs Schauer

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 “Schale” 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