SchiffervsSchiffesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#27,477
“Schiffer” frequency rank
#12,580
“Schiffes” frequency rank
40057
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schiffer Schiffes
Definition eine in der Binnenschifffahrt tätige Person Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Schiff

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Schiffer and Schiffes apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Schiffer
8 ch
Schiffes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schiffer ([ˈʃɪfɐ]) and Schiffes ([ˈʃɪfəs]) 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 a single letter - r in “Schiffer” becomes s in “Schiffes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40057, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schiffer is recorded at frequency rank #27,477, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃɪfɐ]. Schiffes is at rank #12,580, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃɪfəs].

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 40057, this pair ranks #1,519,242 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Schiffer vs Schiffes

Shared letters: cefhis. Private to "Schiffer": r. Private to "Schiffes": -.

"Schiffer" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCCVC  ·  "Schiffes" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schiffercshiffer · scchiffer · schfifer · schhiffer · schifefr · schifer · schifferr · schiffre
  • Schiffescshiffes · scchiffes · schfifes · schhiffes · schifefs · schifes · schiffess · schiffse

Frequency comparison

Schiffer#27,477
Schiffes#12,580

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schiffer" and "Schiffes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃɪfɐ] versus [ˈʃɪfəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schiffer" or "Schiffes"?
"Schiffes" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,580 in our German list, against #27,477 for "Schiffer". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schiffer vs Schiffes

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 “Schiffer” 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