ScheckvsSchreckConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#16,817
“Scheck” frequency rank
#12,788
“Schreck” frequency rank
29605
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Scheck Schreck
Definition Zahlungsanweisung an ein Geldinstitut, einen bestimmten Geldbetrag an einen Dritten zu senden heftige Emotion, die durch die Wahrnehmung von etwas Unerwartetem oder Bedrohlichem ausgelöst wird

Where the eye mixes Scheck and Schreck

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.

6 ch
Scheck
7 ch
Schreck

Look-alike desk: Scheck vs Schreck

A purely visual mix-up. Scheck ([ʃɛk]) and Schreck ([ʃʁɛk]) 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 29605, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Scheck is recorded at frequency rank #16,817, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʃɛk]. Schreck is at rank #12,788, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃʁɛk].

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 29605, this pair ranks #1,763,728 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Scheck vs Schreck

Shared letters: cehks. Private to "Scheck": -. Private to "Schreck": r.

"Scheck" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCC  ·  "Schreck" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Scheckcsheck · sccheck · scehck · schcek · schecck · scheckk · schekc · schheck
  • Schreckcshreck · scchreck · scherck · schhreck · schrcek · schrecck · schreckk · schrekc

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Scheck" and "Schreck" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([ʃɛk] versus [ʃʁɛk]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Scheck" or "Schreck"?
"Schreck" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,788 in our German list, against #16,817 for "Scheck". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Scheck" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Schreck" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,763,728 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Scheck" and "Schreck" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Scheck vs Schlick". 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 #1,763,728 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list