Which to use
“schlich” is a verb and “schlicht” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #28,844
- “schlich” frequency rank
- #4,462
- “schlicht” frequency rank
- 33306
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schlich | schlicht |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs schleichen | einfach gehalten, nicht sehr aufwändig gestaltet |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set schlich and schlicht apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: schlich is [ʃlɪç] while schlicht is [ʃlɪçt]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “schlich” sits inside “schlicht”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33306, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schlich is recorded at frequency rank #28,844, classified as averb, pronounced [ʃlɪç]. schlicht is at rank #4,462, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ʃlɪçt].
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 33306, this pair ranks #1,688,818 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of schlich vs schlicht
Shared letters: chils. Private to "schlich": -. Private to "schlicht": t.
"schlich" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVCC · "schlicht" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "schlich" and "schlicht" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "schlich" or "schlicht"?
Remembering schlich vs schlicht
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “schlich”; for an adjective, it's “schlicht”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “schlich” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable