Which to use
“Schlange” and “Schlangen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,759
- “Schlange” frequency rank
- #10,931
- “Schlangen” frequency rank
- 16690
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schlange | Schlangen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Unterordnung von fußlosen Tieren (Serpentes) | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Schlange |
Where the eye mixes Schlange and Schlangen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between Schlange and Schlangen
A purely visual mix-up. Schlange ([ˈʃlaŋə]) and Schlangen ([ˈʃlaŋən]) 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) - “Schlange” sits inside “Schlangen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16690, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Schlange is recorded at frequency rank #5,759, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlaŋə]. Schlangen is at rank #10,931, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlaŋən].
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 16690, this pair ranks #1,933,772 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Schlange vs Schlangen
Shared letters: aceghlns. Private to "Schlange": -. Private to "Schlangen": -.
"Schlange" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCV · "Schlangen" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Schlange" for "Schlangen" ever safe?
Frequency check: "Schlange" vs "Schlangen" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Schlange" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Schlangen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,933,772 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Schlange" and "Schlangen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Schlangen vs Schlingel". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,933,772 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.