SchaufelnvsSchautenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#24,910
“Schaufeln” frequency rank
#20,727
“Schauten” frequency rank
45637
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schaufeln Schauten
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Schaufel Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Schaute

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Schaufeln and Schauten apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
Schaufeln
8 ch
Schauten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schaufeln ([ˈʃaʊ̯fl̩n]) and Schauten ([ˈʃaʊ̯tn̩]) 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 45637, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schaufeln is recorded at frequency rank #24,910, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃaʊ̯fl̩n]. Schauten is at rank #20,727, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃaʊ̯tn̩].

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 45637, this pair ranks #1,346,244 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Schaufeln vs Schauten

Shared letters: acehnsu. Private to "Schaufeln": fl. Private to "Schauten": t.

"Schaufeln" · 9 letters · shape CCCVVCVCC  ·  "Schauten" · 8 letters · shape CCCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schaufelncshaufeln · scahufeln · scchaufeln · schafueln · schauefln · schaufelln · schaufelnn · schaufenl
  • Schautencshauten · scahuten · scchauten · schatuen · schauetn · schautenn · schautne · schautten

Frequency comparison

Schaufeln#24,910
Schauten#20,727

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schaufeln" and "Schauten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃaʊ̯fl̩n] versus [ˈʃaʊ̯tn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schaufeln" or "Schauten"?
"Schauten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,727 in our German list, against #24,910 for "Schaufeln". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schaufeln vs Schauten

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 “Schaufeln” 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