SchläfevsSchläferWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#46,966
“Schläfe” frequency rank
#46,967
“Schläfer” frequency rank
93933
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schläfe Schläfer
Definition der Bereich zwischen Ohr und Auge, auf dem man beim Schlafen liegt Person, die schläft, die sich im Schlafzustand befindet

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
Schläfe
8 ch
Schläfer

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schläfe ([ˈʃlɛːfə]) and Schläfer ([ˈʃlɛːfɐ]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Schläfe” sits inside “Schläfer”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 93933, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schläfe is recorded at frequency rank #46,966, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlɛːfə]. Schläfer is at rank #46,967, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlɛːfɐ].

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 93933, this pair ranks #19,744 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Schläfe vs Schläfer

Shared letters: cefhlsä. Private to "Schläfe": -. Private to "Schläfer": r.

"Schläfe" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVCV  ·  "Schläfer" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCVC

Frequency comparison

Schläfe#46,966
Schläfer#46,967

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schläfe" and "Schläfer" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃlɛːfə] versus [ˈʃlɛːfɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schläfe" or "Schläfer"?
"Schläfe" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #46,966 in our German list, against #46,967 for "Schläfer". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schläfe vs Schläfer

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 “Schläfe” 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