schlappvsSchlipsWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: schlapp is a adjective, Schlips is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“schlapp” is an adjective and “Schlips” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#24,112
“schlapp” frequency rank
#40,193
“Schlips” frequency rank
64305
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature schlapp Schlips
Definition keine Energie habend, erschöpft Krawatte; ein schmaler Streifen aus Stoff, der um den Hals gebunden und typischerweise zu Hemd und Anzug getragen wird

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
schlapp
7 ch
Schlips

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: schlapp is [ʃlap] while Schlips is [ʃlɪps]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 64305, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

schlapp is recorded at frequency rank #24,112, classified as anadj, pronounced [ʃlap]. Schlips is at rank #40,193, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃlɪps].

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 64305, this pair ranks #646,235 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of schlapp vs Schlips

Shared letters: chlps. Private to "schlapp": a. Private to "Schlips": i.

"schlapp" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVCC  ·  "Schlips" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • schlappcshlapp · scchlapp · schalpp · schhlapp · schlap · schllapp · schlpap · sclhapp
  • Schlipscshlips · scchlips · schhlips · schilps · schlipps · schlipss · schlisp · schllips

Frequency comparison

schlapp#24,112
Schlips#40,193

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "schlapp" and "Schlips" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "schlapp" is an adjective and "Schlips" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "schlapp" or "Schlips"?
"schlapp" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #24,112 in our German list, against #40,193 for "Schlips". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering schlapp vs Schlips

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “schlapp”; for a noun, it's “Schlips”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “schlapp” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list