SchleusevsSchlüsseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#16,274
“Schleuse” frequency rank
#13,686
“Schlüsse” frequency rank
29960
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schleuse Schlüsse
Definition verschließbares Tor zur Regulierung verschieden hoher Wasserstände Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Schluss

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Schleuse and Schlüsse apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Schleuse
8 ch
Schlüsse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schleuse ([ˈʃlɔɪ̯zə]) and Schlüsse ([ˈʃlʏsə]) 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 29960, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schleuse is recorded at frequency rank #16,274, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlɔɪ̯zə]. Schlüsse is at rank #13,686, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃlʏsə].

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 29960, this pair ranks #1,756,978 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Schleuse vs Schlüsse

Shared letters: cehls. Private to "Schleuse": u. Private to "Schlüsse": ü.

"Schleuse" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVVCV  ·  "Schlüsse" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schleusecshleuse · scchleuse · scheluse · schhleuse · schlesue · schleues · schleusse · schlleuse

Frequency comparison

Schleuse#16,274
Schlüsse#13,686

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schleuse" and "Schlüsse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃlɔɪ̯zə] versus [ˈʃlʏsə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schleuse" or "Schlüsse"?
"Schlüsse" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,686 in our German list, against #16,274 for "Schleuse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schleuse vs Schlüsse

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 “Schleuse” 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