SchlagervsSchlägereiWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#10,357
“Schlager” frequency rank
#15,200
“Schlägerei” frequency rank
25557
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schlager Schlägerei
Definition ein erfolgreiches, viel gehört und gesungenes Musikstück der leichten Unterhaltungsmusik handgreifliche Auseinandersetzung mindestens zweier Personen

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
Schlager
10 ch
Schlägerei

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schlager ([ˈʃlaːɡɐ]) and Schlägerei ([ʃlɛːɡəˈʁaɪ̯]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25557, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schlager is recorded at frequency rank #10,357, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlaːɡɐ]. Schlägerei is at rank #15,200, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃlɛːɡəˈʁaɪ̯].

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 25557, this pair ranks #1,831,455 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Schlager vs Schlägerei

Shared letters: ceghlrs. Private to "Schlager": a. Private to "Schlägerei": .

"Schlager" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCVC  ·  "Schlägerei" · 10 letters · shape CCCCVCVCVV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schlagercshlager · scchlager · schalger · schhlager · schlaegr · schlagerr · schlagger · schlagre

Frequency comparison

Schlager#10,357
Schlägerei#15,200

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schlager" and "Schlägerei" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃlaːɡɐ] versus [ʃlɛːɡəˈʁaɪ̯]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schlager" or "Schlägerei"?
"Schlager" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,357 in our German list, against #15,200 for "Schlägerei". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schlager vs Schlägerei

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 “Schlager” 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