Which to use
“Scham” and “Sesam” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,373
- “Scham” frequency rank
- #46,990
- “Sesam” frequency rank
- 59363
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Scham | Sesam |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | angstbesetztes Empfinden, das meist durch eigenes und von anderen beobachtbares Fehlverhalten ausgelöst wird, durch das man deren Achtung zu verlieren droht | Pflanze der Art Sesamum indicum, aus der Familie der Sesamgewächse |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Scham and Sesam apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Scham and Sesam form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59363, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Scham is recorded at frequency rank #12,373, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʃaːm]. Sesam is at rank #46,990, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈzeːzam].
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 59363, this pair ranks #827,315 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Scham" and "Sesam" be used interchangeably?
Remembering Scham vs Sesam
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 “Scham” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable