SchleiervsSchlemmerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#16,540
“Schleier” frequency rank
#49,223
“Schlemmer” frequency rank
65763
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schleier Schlemmer
Definition dünner, halbdurchsichtiger Stoff zur Verhüllung von Kopf/Gesicht (einer Frau) jemand, der gern gut und viel isst

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
Schleier
9 ch
Schlemmer

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schleier ([ˈʃlaɪ̯ɐ]) and Schlemmer ([ˈʃlɛmɐ]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 65763, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schleier is recorded at frequency rank #16,540, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlaɪ̯ɐ]. Schlemmer is at rank #49,223, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlɛmɐ].

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 65763, this pair ranks #595,811 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Schleier vs Schlemmer

Shared letters: cehlrs. Private to "Schleier": i. Private to "Schlemmer": m.

"Schleier" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVVVC  ·  "Schlemmer" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schleiercshleier · scchleier · schelier · schhleier · schleeir · schleierr · schleire · schlieer
  • Schlemmercshlemmer · scchlemmer · schelmmer · schhlemmer · schlememr · schlemer · schlemmerr · schlemmre

Frequency comparison

Schleier#16,540
Schlemmer#49,223

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schleier" and "Schlemmer" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃlaɪ̯ɐ] versus [ˈʃlɛmɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schleier" or "Schlemmer"?
"Schleier" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,540 in our German list, against #49,223 for "Schlemmer". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schleier vs Schlemmer

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 “Schleier” 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