schämenvsschämtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#7,663
“schämen” frequency rank
#22,884
“schämt” frequency rank
30547
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature schämen schämt
Definition Scham empfinden 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schämen

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
schämen
6 ch
schämt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. schämen ([ˈʃɛːmən]) and schämt ([ʃɛːmt]) 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 30547, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

schämen is recorded at frequency rank #7,663, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃɛːmən]. schämt is at rank #22,884, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃɛːmt].

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 30547, this pair ranks #1,745,688 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of schämen vs schämt

Shared letters: chmsä. Private to "schämen": en. Private to "schämt": t.

"schämen" · 7 letters · shape CCCVCVC  ·  "schämt" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCC

Frequency comparison

schämen#7,663
schämt#22,884

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "schämen" and "schämt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃɛːmən] versus [ʃɛːmt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "schämen" or "schämt"?
"schämen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,663 in our German list, against #22,884 for "schämt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering schämen vs schämt

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 “schämen” 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