Which to use
“schlimmer” and “schlimmeren” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,820
- “schlimmer” frequency rank
- #48,454
- “schlimmeren” frequency rank
- 50274
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schlimmer | schlimmeren |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs schlimm | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Komparativs des Adjektivs schlimm |
Where the eye mixes schlimmer and schlimmeren
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. schlimmer runs 9 letters (CCCCVCCVC) against schlimmeren's 11 (CCCCVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses schlimmer with schlimmeren
A purely visual mix-up. schlimmer ([ˈʃlɪmɐ]) and schlimmeren ([ˈʃlɪməʁən]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “schlimmer” sits inside “schlimmeren”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50274, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schlimmer is recorded at frequency rank #1,820, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃlɪmɐ]. schlimmeren is at rank #48,454, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃlɪməʁən].
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 50274, this pair ranks #1,179,907 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of schlimmer vs schlimmeren
Shared letters: cehilmrs. Private to "schlimmer": -. Private to "schlimmeren": n.
"schlimmer" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC · "schlimmeren" · 11 letters · shape CCCCVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- schlimmer ← cshlimmer · scchlimmer · schhlimmer · schilmmer · schlimemr · schlimer · schlimmerr · schlimmre
- schlimmeren ← cshlimmeren · scchlimmeren · schhlimmeren · schilmmeren · schlimemren · schlimeren · schlimmeern · schlimmerenn
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "schlimmer" and "schlimmeren" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "schlimmer" or "schlimmeren"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "schlimmer" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "schlimmeren" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,179,907 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "schlimmer" and "schlimmeren" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schlieren vs schlimmeren". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,179,907 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.