Which to use
“schlecht” and “schlechten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #649
- “schlecht” frequency rank
- #2,785
- “schlechten” frequency rank
- 3434
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schlecht | schlechten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht den Anforderungen oder Erwartungen entsprechend, weil mit Mängeln behaftet | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs schlecht |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set schlecht and schlechten apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. schlecht ([ʃlɛçt]) and schlechten ([ˈʃlɛçtn̩]) 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 extra letter(s) - “schlecht” sits inside “schlechten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3434, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schlecht is recorded at frequency rank #649, classified as anadj, pronounced [ʃlɛçt]. schlechten is at rank #2,785, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃlɛçtn̩].
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 3434, this pair ranks #2,000,232 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of schlecht vs schlechten
Shared letters: cehlst. Private to "schlecht": -. Private to "schlechten": n.
"schlecht" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCC · "schlechten" · 10 letters · shape CCCCVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- schlecht ← cshlecht · scchlecht · schelcht · schhlecht · schlceht · schleccht · schlechht · schlechtt
- schlechten ← cshlechten · scchlechten · schelchten · schhlechten · schlcehten · schlecchten · schlechetn · schlechhten
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "schlecht" and "schlechten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "schlecht" or "schlechten"?
Remembering schlecht vs schlechten
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 “schlecht” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable