Which to use
“Schmach” and “Schwäche” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #32,758
- “Schmach” frequency rank
- #6,003
- “Schwäche” frequency rank
- 38761
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schmach | Schwäche |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | erhebliche Beeinträchtigung des Ansehens, durch andere beigebracht | mangelnde körperliche oder geistige Kraft |
Where the eye mixes Schmach and Schwäche
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between Schmach and Schwäche
A purely visual mix-up. Schmach ([ʃmaːx]) and Schwäche ([ˈʃvɛçə]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38761, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Schmach is recorded at frequency rank #32,758, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʃmaːx]. Schwäche is at rank #6,003, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃvɛçə].
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 38761, this pair ranks #1,555,313 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Schmach vs Schwäche
Shared letters: chs. Private to "Schmach": am. Private to "Schwäche": ewä.
"Schmach" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVCC · "Schwäche" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- Schmach ← cshmach · scchmach · schamch · schhmach · schmacch · schmachh · schmahc · schmcah
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Schmach" for "Schwäche" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Schmach" or "Schwäche" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Schmach" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Schwäche" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,555,313 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Schmach" and "Schwäche" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Schah vs Schmach". 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 #1,555,313 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.