SchicksalvsSchicksalsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,613
“Schicksal” frequency rank
#21,054
“Schicksals” frequency rank
23667
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schicksal Schicksals
Definition höhere Macht, welche die Zukunft der/eines Menschen beliebig beeinflusst und lenkt Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Schicksal

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Schicksal and Schicksals apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
Schicksal
10 ch
Schicksals

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schicksal ([ˈʃɪkˌz̥aːl]) and Schicksals ([ˈʃɪkˌz̥aːls]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Schicksal” sits inside “Schicksals”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23667, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schicksal is recorded at frequency rank #2,613, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃɪkˌz̥aːl]. Schicksals is at rank #21,054, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃɪkˌz̥aːls].

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 23667, this pair ranks #1,858,238 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Schicksal vs Schicksals

Shared letters: achikls. Private to "Schicksal": -. Private to "Schicksals": -.

"Schicksal" · 9 letters · shape CCCVCCCVC  ·  "Schicksals" · 10 letters · shape CCCVCCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schicksalcshicksal · scchicksal · schciksal · schhicksal · schiccksal · schickasl · schickksal · schicksall
  • Schicksalscshicksals · scchicksals · schciksals · schhicksals · schiccksals · schickasls · schickksals · schicksalls

Frequency comparison

Schicksal#2,613
Schicksals#21,054

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schicksal" and "Schicksals" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃɪkˌz̥aːl] versus [ˈʃɪkˌz̥aːls]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schicksal" or "Schicksals"?
"Schicksal" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,613 in our German list, against #21,054 for "Schicksals". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schicksal vs Schicksals

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 “Schicksal” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list