Which to use
“Schelm” and “Schild” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #32,753
- “Schelm” frequency rank
- #4,303
- “Schild” frequency rank
- 37056
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schelm | Schild |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Mensch, der gerne scherzt und neckt | frühzeitliche/mittelalterliche Platte zum Schutz des eigenen Körpers im Kampf (oft versehen mit dem Erkennungswappen des jeweiligen Schildträgers; hieraus ist die Bedeutung des "Schild(e)s als Informationsträger" (siehe unten) entstanden) |
Where the eye mixes Schelm and Schild
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between Schelm and Schild
A purely visual mix-up. Schelm ([ʃɛlm]) and Schild ([ʃɪlt]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37056, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Schelm is recorded at frequency rank #32,753, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʃɛlm]. Schild is at rank #4,303, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃɪlt].
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 37056, this pair ranks #1,599,909 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Schelm vs Schild
Shared letters: chls. Private to "Schelm": em. Private to "Schild": di.
"Schelm" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCC · "Schild" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Schelm" for "Schild" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Schelm" or "Schild"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Schelm" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Schild" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,599,909 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Schelm" and "Schild" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Schalk vs Schelm". 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 #1,599,909 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.