schlimmerenvsschlimmstenConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#48,454
“schlimmeren” frequency rank
#5,530
“schlimmsten” frequency rank
53984
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature schlimmeren schlimmsten
Definition Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Komparativs des Adjektivs schlimm Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs schlimm

Where the eye mixes schlimmeren and schlimmsten

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. schlimmeren (CCCCVCCVCVC) and schlimmsten (CCCCVCCCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.

11 ch
schlimmeren
11 ch
schlimmsten

Look-alike desk: schlimmeren vs schlimmsten

A purely visual mix-up. schlimmeren ([ˈʃlɪməʁən]) and schlimmsten ([ˈʃlɪmstn̩]) 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 53984, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

schlimmeren is recorded at frequency rank #48,454, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃlɪməʁən]. schlimmsten is at rank #5,530, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃlɪmstn̩].

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 53984, this pair ranks #1,036,585 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of schlimmeren vs schlimmsten

Shared letters: cehilmns. Private to "schlimmeren": r. Private to "schlimmsten": t.

"schlimmeren" · 11 letters · shape CCCCVCCVCVC  ·  "schlimmsten" · 11 letters · shape CCCCVCCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • schlimmerencshlimmeren · scchlimmeren · schhlimmeren · schilmmeren · schlimemren · schlimeren · schlimmeern · schlimmerenn
  • schlimmstencshlimmsten · scchlimmsten · schhlimmsten · schilmmsten · schlimmsetn · schlimmssten · schlimmstenn · schlimmstne

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "schlimmeren" and "schlimmsten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃlɪməʁən] versus [ˈʃlɪmstn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "schlimmeren" vs "schlimmsten" - which ranks higher?
"schlimmsten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,530 in our German list, against #48,454 for "schlimmeren". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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 "schlimmeren" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "schlimmsten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,036,585 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "schlimmeren" and "schlimmsten" 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 #1,036,585 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list