Schlaf vs Schläfe, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#2,514
“Schlaf” frequency rank: #46,966
“Schläfe” frequency rank: 49480
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Schlaf	Schläfe
Definition	Zustand der Ruhe eines Lebewesens (meistens höhere Tiere und Menschen, selten auch Pflanzen)	der Bereich zwischen Ohr und Auge, auf dem man beim Schlafen liegt

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch

Schlaf

7 ch

Schläfe

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schlaf ([ʃlaːf]) and Schläfe ([ˈʃlɛːfə]) 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 49480, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schlaf is recorded at frequency rank #2,514, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʃlaːf]. Schläfe is at rank #46,966, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlɛːfə].

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 49480, this pair ranks #1,209,942 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Schlaf vs Schläfe

Shared letters: cfhls. Private to "Schlaf": a. Private to "Schläfe": eä.

"Schlaf" · 6 letters · shape CCCCVC · "Schläfe" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

Schlaf ← cshlaf · scchlaf · schalf · schhlaf · schlaff · schlfa · schllaf · sclhaf

Frequency comparison

Schlaf#2,514

Schläfe#46,966

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schlaf" and "Schläfe" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([ʃlaːf] versus [ˈʃlɛːfə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "Schlaf" or "Schläfe"?

"Schlaf" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,514 in our German list, against #46,966 for "Schläfe". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Schlaf vs Schläfe

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 “Schlaf” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable