Which to use
“scheuen” and “schreien” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,380
- “scheuen” frequency rank
- #4,831
- “schreien” frequency rank
- 23211
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | scheuen | schreien |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas (häufig aus Angst) vermeiden oder meiden | einen plötzlichen, lauten Ruf ausstoßen (zum Beispiel Schmerzschrei) oder auch längere Zeit unartikulierte, laute Geräusche von sich geben |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set scheuen and schreien 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. scheuen ([ˈʃɔɪ̯ən]) and schreien ([ˈʃʁaɪ̯ən]) 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 23211, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
scheuen is recorded at frequency rank #18,380, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃɔɪ̯ən]. schreien is at rank #4,831, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃʁaɪ̯ən].
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 23211, this pair ranks #1,864,309 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of scheuen vs schreien
Shared letters: cehns. Private to "scheuen": u. Private to "schreien": ir.
"scheuen" · 7 letters · shape CCCVVVC · "schreien" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "scheuen" and "schreien" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "scheuen" or "schreien"?
Remembering scheuen vs schreien
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 “scheuen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable