SchinkenvsSchminkeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#11,744
“Schinken” frequency rank
#27,042
“Schminke” frequency rank
38786
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schinken Schminke
Definition Fleisch der Schenkel von Schlachtvieh meist im engeren Sinne von Schweinen Substanz oder Produkt zur farblichen Gestaltung von Haut, Augen oder Gesicht

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
Schinken
8 ch
Schminke

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schinken ([ˈʃɪŋkn̩]) and Schminke ([ˈʃmɪŋkə]) 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 5 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38786, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schinken is recorded at frequency rank #11,744, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃɪŋkn̩]. Schminke is at rank #27,042, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃmɪŋkə].

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 38786, this pair ranks #1,554,648 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Schinken vs Schminke

Shared letters: cehikns. Private to "Schinken": -. Private to "Schminke": m.

"Schinken" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCCVC  ·  "Schminke" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schinkencshinken · scchinken · schhinken · schiknen · schinekn · schinkenn · schinkken · schinkne
  • Schminkecshminke · scchminke · schhminke · schimnke · schmikne · schminek · schminkke · schminnke

Frequency comparison

Schinken#11,744
Schminke#27,042

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schinken" and "Schminke" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃɪŋkn̩] versus [ˈʃmɪŋkə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schinken" or "Schminke"?
"Schinken" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,744 in our German list, against #27,042 for "Schminke". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schinken vs Schminke

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 “Schinken” 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