SchlemmervsSchlepperWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#49,223
“Schlemmer” frequency rank
#14,666
“Schlepper” frequency rank
63889
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schlemmer Schlepper
Definition jemand, der gern gut und viel isst Schiff, das zum Ziehen und Schieben anderer Schiffe oder großer schwimmfähiger Objekte eingesetzt wird

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
Schlemmer
9 ch
Schlepper

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schlemmer ([ˈʃlɛmɐ]) and Schlepper ([ˈʃlɛpɐ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63889, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schlemmer is recorded at frequency rank #49,223, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlɛmɐ]. Schlepper is at rank #14,666, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlɛpɐ].

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 63889, this pair ranks #660,773 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Schlemmer vs Schlepper

Shared letters: cehlrs. Private to "Schlemmer": m. Private to "Schlepper": p.

"Schlemmer" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC  ·  "Schlepper" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schlemmercshlemmer · scchlemmer · schelmmer · schhlemmer · schlememr · schlemer · schlemmerr · schlemmre
  • Schleppercshlepper · scchlepper · schelpper · schhlepper · schlepepr · schleper · schlepperr · schleppre

Frequency comparison

Schlemmer#49,223
Schlepper#14,666

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schlemmer" and "Schlepper" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃlɛmɐ] versus [ˈʃlɛpɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schlemmer" or "Schlepper"?
"Schlepper" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,666 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 Schlemmer vs Schlepper

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 “Schlemmer” 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