SchaltungvsSpaltungWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#19,371
“Schaltung” frequency rank
#9,266
“Spaltung” frequency rank
28637
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schaltung Spaltung
Definition Verbindung elektrischer Bauelemente Teilung durch Einwirkung

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Schaltung and Spaltung apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
Schaltung
8 ch
Spaltung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schaltung ([ˈʃaltʊŋ]) and Spaltung ([ˈʃpaltʊŋ]) 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 28637, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schaltung is recorded at frequency rank #19,371, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃaltʊŋ]. Spaltung is at rank #9,266, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃpaltʊŋ].

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 28637, this pair ranks #1,781,239 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Schaltung vs Spaltung

Shared letters: aglnstu. Private to "Schaltung": ch. Private to "Spaltung": p.

"Schaltung" · 9 letters · shape CCCVCCVCC  ·  "Spaltung" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schaltungcshaltung · scahltung · scchaltung · schalltung · schaltnug · schalttung · schaltugn · schaltungg
  • Spaltungpsaltung · sapltung · spalltung · spaltnug · spalttung · spaltugn · spaltungg · spaltunng

Frequency comparison

Schaltung#19,371
Spaltung#9,266

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schaltung" and "Spaltung" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃaltʊŋ] versus [ˈʃpaltʊŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schaltung" or "Spaltung"?
"Spaltung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,266 in our German list, against #19,371 for "Schaltung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schaltung vs Spaltung

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 “Schaltung” 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