SchiffervsSchilderWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#27,477
“Schiffer” frequency rank
#10,558
“Schilder” frequency rank
38035
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schiffer Schilder
Definition eine in der Binnenschifffahrt tätige Person Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Schild

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Schiffer and Schilder apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Schiffer
8 ch
Schilder

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schiffer ([ˈʃɪfɐ]) and Schilder ([ˈʃɪldɐ]) 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 38035, 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]. Schilder is at rank #10,558, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃɪldɐ].

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 38035, this pair ranks #1,574,536 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Schiffer vs Schilder

Shared letters: cehirs. Private to "Schiffer": f. Private to "Schilder": dl.

"Schiffer" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCCVC  ·  "Schilder" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schiffercshiffer · scchiffer · schfifer · schhiffer · schifefr · schifer · schifferr · schiffre
  • Schildercshilder · scchilder · schhilder · schidler · schildder · schilderr · schildre · schiledr

Frequency comparison

Schiffer#27,477
Schilder#10,558

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schiffer" and "Schilder" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃɪfɐ] versus [ˈʃɪldɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schiffer" or "Schilder"?
"Schilder" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,558 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 Schilder

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