Which to use
“schäme” is a verb and “Schläfe” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,170
- “schäme” frequency rank
- #46,966
- “Schläfe” frequency rank
- 61136
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schäme | Schläfe |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schämen | der Bereich zwischen Ohr und Auge, auf dem man beim Schlafen liegt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set schäme and Schläfe apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: schäme is [ˈʃɛːmə] while Schläfe is [ˈʃlɛːfə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61136, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schäme is recorded at frequency rank #14,170, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃɛːmə]. Schläfe is at rank #46,966, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlɛːfə].
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 61136, this pair ranks #760,974 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of schäme vs Schläfe
Shared letters: cehsä. Private to "schäme": m. Private to "Schläfe": fl.
"schäme" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCV · "Schläfe" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "schäme" and "Schläfe" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "schäme" or "Schläfe"?
Remembering schäme vs Schläfe
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “schäme”; for a noun, it's “Schläfe”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “schäme” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable