Which to use
“scharf” and “sharp” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,070
- “scharf” frequency rank
- #29,787
- “sharp” frequency rank
- 32857
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | scharf | sharp |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | fähig, etwas zu (zer)schneiden oder zu stechen | so, dass es gut schneidet (zum Beispiel ein Messer oder eine Axt) |
Letter map: scharf vs sharp
Shared letters muted; letters that set scharf and sharp apart highlighted. Shared run: 4.
Corpus notes: scharf and sharp
scharf and sharp are indexed as a confusable German pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32857, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
scharf is recorded at frequency rank #3,070, classified as anadj, pronounced [ʃaʁf]. sharp is at rank #29,787, tagged as anadj, pronounced […].
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 32857, this pair ranks #1,698,524 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of scharf vs sharp
Shared letters: ahrs. Private to "scharf": cf. Private to "sharp": p.
"scharf" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCC · "sharp" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "scharf" and "sharp" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "scharf" or "sharp"?
Useful next steps
Pair "scharf" vs "sharp" is on the table, pick a follow-up below.
- Full dictionary entry for "scharf" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "sharp" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,698,524 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "scharf" and "sharp" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "puzzles vs sharp". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,698,524 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.