SchissvsSchlipsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#19,028
“Schiss” frequency rank
#40,193
“Schlips” frequency rank
59221
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schiss Schlips
Definition der Vorgang des Ausscheidens von Kot Krawatte; ein schmaler Streifen aus Stoff, der um den Hals gebunden und typischerweise zu Hemd und Anzug getragen wird

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Schiss and Schlips apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Schiss
7 ch
Schlips

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schiss ([ʃɪs]) and Schlips ([ʃlɪps]) 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 59221, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schiss is recorded at frequency rank #19,028, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʃɪs]. Schlips is at rank #40,193, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃlɪps].

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 59221, this pair ranks #832,729 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Schiss vs Schlips

Shared letters: chis. Private to "Schiss": -. Private to "Schlips": lp.

"Schiss" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCC  ·  "Schlips" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schisscshiss · scchiss · schhiss · schis · schiß · schsis · scihss · shciss
  • Schlipscshlips · scchlips · schhlips · schilps · schlipps · schlipss · schlisp · schllips

Frequency comparison

Schiss#19,028
Schlips#40,193

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schiss" and "Schlips" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ʃɪs] versus [ʃlɪps]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schiss" or "Schlips"?
"Schiss" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,028 in our German list, against #40,193 for "Schlips". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schiss vs Schlips

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 “Schiss” 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