SchimmervsSchlemmerConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#16,538
“Schimmer” frequency rank
#49,223
“Schlemmer” frequency rank
65761
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schimmer Schlemmer
Definition matter Lichtschein, schwacher Glanz jemand, der gern gut und viel isst

Where the eye mixes Schimmer and Schlemmer

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. Schimmer runs 8 letters (CCCVCCVC) against Schlemmer's 9 (CCCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

8 ch
Schimmer
9 ch
Schlemmer

Visual trap between Schimmer and Schlemmer

A purely visual mix-up. Schimmer ([ˈʃɪmɐ]) and Schlemmer ([ˈʃlɛmɐ]) 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 65761, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schimmer is recorded at frequency rank #16,538, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃɪmɐ]. Schlemmer is at rank #49,223, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlɛmɐ].

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 65761, this pair ranks #595,874 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Schimmer vs Schlemmer

Shared letters: cehmrs. Private to "Schimmer": i. Private to "Schlemmer": l.

"Schimmer" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCCVC  ·  "Schlemmer" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schimmer ← cshimmer · scchimmer · schhimmer · schimemr · schimer · schimmerr · schimmre · schmimer
  • Schlemmer ← cshlemmer · scchlemmer · schelmmer · schhlemmer · schlememr · schlemer · schlemmerr · schlemmre

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Schimmer" for "Schlemmer" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃɪmɐ] versus [ˈʃlɛmɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schimmer" or "Schlemmer"?
"Schimmer" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,538 in our German list, against #49,223 for "Schlemmer". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Schimmer" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Schlemmer" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #595,874 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Schimmer" and "Schlemmer" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Schlemmer vs Schleuser". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #595,874 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list