schlafenvsschläfstWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,306
“schlafen” frequency rank
#22,876
“schläfst” frequency rank
24182
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature schlafen schläfst
Definition sich im Schlaf befinden, auf gewisse Art und Weise den Schlaf verbringen können, durch das Schlafen eine gewisse Verfassung erlangen 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schlafen

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
schlafen
8 ch
schläfst

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. schlafen ([ˈʃlaːfn̩]) and schläfst ([ʃlɛːfst]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24182, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

schlafen is recorded at frequency rank #1,306, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃlaːfn̩]. schläfst is at rank #22,876, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃlɛːfst].

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 24182, this pair ranks #1,851,237 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of schlafen vs schläfst

Shared letters: cfhls. Private to "schlafen": aen. Private to "schläfst": .

"schlafen" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCVC  ·  "schläfst" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • schlafencshlafen · scchlafen · schalfen · schhlafen · schlaefn · schlafenn · schlaffen · schlafne

Frequency comparison

schlafen#1,306
schläfst#22,876

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "schlafen" and "schläfst" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃlaːfn̩] versus [ʃlɛːfst]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "schlafen" or "schläfst"?
"schlafen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,306 in our German list, against #22,876 for "schläfst". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering schlafen vs schläfst

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 “schlafen” 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