Which to use
“schämt” and “schwärmt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #22,884
- “schämt” frequency rank
- #27,483
- “schwärmt” frequency rank
- 50367
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schämt | schwärmt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schämen | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schwärmen |
Where the eye mixes schämt and schwärmt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. schämt runs 6 letters (CCCVCC) against schwärmt's 8 (CCCCVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses schämt with schwärmt
A purely visual mix-up. schämt ([ʃɛːmt]) and schwärmt ([ʃvɛʁmt]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50367, 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]. schwärmt is at rank #27,483, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃvɛʁmt].
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 50367, this pair ranks #1,176,358 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of schämt vs schwärmt
Shared letters: chmstä. Private to "schämt": -. Private to "schwärmt": rw.
"schämt" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCC · "schwärmt" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "schämt" and "schwärmt" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "schämt" or "schwärmt" show up more?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "schämt" and "schwärmt" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "schämt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "schwärmt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,176,358 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "schämt" and "schwärmt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schämt vs schütt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,176,358 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.