Which to use
“schauen” and “schaukeln” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #958
- “schauen” frequency rank
- #24,493
- “schaukeln” frequency rank
- 25451
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schauen | schaukeln |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mehr aktiv als passiv mit den Augen wahrnehmen (also oft willentlich, aus eigenem Bestreben heraus/ durch eigenes Zutun herbeigeführt) | sich auf und ab oder hin und her bewegen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set schauen and schaukeln apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. schauen ([ˈʃaʊ̯ən]) and schaukeln ([ˈʃaʊ̯kl̩n]) 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 25451, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schauen is recorded at frequency rank #958, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃaʊ̯ən]. schaukeln is at rank #24,493, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃaʊ̯kl̩n].
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 25451, this pair ranks #1,833,094 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of schauen vs schaukeln
Shared letters: acehnsu. Private to "schauen": -. Private to "schaukeln": kl.
"schauen" · 7 letters · shape CCCVVVC · "schaukeln" · 9 letters · shape CCCVVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "schauen" and "schaukeln" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "schauen" or "schaukeln"?
Remembering schauen vs schaukeln
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 “schauen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable