Which to use
“scherzen” and “scheuen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #33,267
- “scherzen” frequency rank
- #18,380
- “scheuen” frequency rank
- 51647
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | scherzen | scheuen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Späße machen, einen Scherz machen, es nicht ernst meinen | etwas (häufig aus Angst) vermeiden oder meiden |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set scherzen and scheuen apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. scherzen ([ˈʃɛʁt͡sn̩]) and scheuen ([ˈʃɔɪ̯ən]) 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 51647, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
scherzen is recorded at frequency rank #33,267, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃɛʁt͡sn̩]. scheuen is at rank #18,380, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃɔɪ̯ən].
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 51647, this pair ranks #1,127,565 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of scherzen vs scheuen
Shared letters: cehns. Private to "scherzen": rz. Private to "scheuen": u.
"scherzen" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCCVC · "scheuen" · 7 letters · shape CCCVVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "scherzen" and "scheuen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "scherzen" or "scheuen"?
Remembering scherzen vs scheuen
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 “scherzen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable