schlechtemvsschlechtenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#13,932
“schlechtem” frequency rank
#2,785
“schlechten” frequency rank
16717
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature schlechtem schlechten
Definition Dativ Singular Maskulinum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs schlecht Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs schlecht

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set schlechtem and schlechten apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
schlechtem
10 ch
schlechten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. schlechtem ([ˈʃlɛçtəm]) 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 a single letter - m in “schlechtem” becomes n in “schlechten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16717, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

schlechtem is recorded at frequency rank #13,932, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃlɛçtəm]. 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 16717, this pair ranks #1,933,551 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of schlechtem vs schlechten

Shared letters: cehlst. Private to "schlechtem": m. Private to "schlechten": n.

"schlechtem" · 10 letters · shape CCCCVCCCVC  ·  "schlechten" · 10 letters · shape CCCCVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • schlechtemcshlechtem · scchlechtem · schelchtem · schhlechtem · schlcehtem · schlecchtem · schlechetm · schlechhtem
  • schlechtencshlechten · scchlechten · schelchten · schhlechten · schlcehten · schlecchten · schlechetn · schlechhten

Frequency comparison

schlechtem#13,932
schlechten#2,785

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "schlechtem" and "schlechten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃlɛçtəm] versus [ˈʃlɛçtn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "schlechtem" or "schlechten"?
"schlechten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,785 in our German list, against #13,932 for "schlechtem". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering schlechtem 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 “schlechtem” 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