schämtvsschautWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#22,884
“schämt” frequency rank
#1,818
“schaut” frequency rank
24702
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature schämt schaut
Definition 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schämen 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schauen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set schämt and schaut apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
schämt
6 ch
schaut

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. schämt ([ʃɛːmt]) and schaut ([ʃaʊ̯t]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24702, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

schämt is recorded at frequency rank #22,884, classified as averb, pronounced [ʃɛːmt]. schaut is at rank #1,818, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃaʊ̯t].

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 24702, this pair ranks #1,843,944 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of schämt vs schaut

Shared letters: chst. Private to "schämt": . Private to "schaut": au.

"schämt" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCC  ·  "schaut" · 6 letters · shape CCCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • schautcshaut · scahut · scchaut · schatu · schautt · schhaut · schuat · shcaut

Frequency comparison

schämt#22,884
schaut#1,818

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "schämt" and "schaut" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ʃɛːmt] versus [ʃaʊ̯t]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "schämt" or "schaut"?
"schaut" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,818 in our German list, against #22,884 for "schämt". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering schämt vs schaut

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 “schämt” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list