Which to use
“schmecken” and “schminken” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,114
- “schmecken” frequency rank
- #26,157
- “schminken” frequency rank
- 31271
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schmecken | schminken |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | den Geschmackssinn anwenden, etwas mit dem Geschmackssinn prüfen, wahrnehmen | Haut, Gesicht oder Augen mit Hilfe von Schminke farblich gestalten |
Where the eye mixes schmecken and schminken
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: schmecken vs schminken
A purely visual mix-up. schmecken ([ˈʃmɛkn̩]) and schminken ([ˈʃmɪŋkn̩]) 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 31271, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schmecken is recorded at frequency rank #5,114, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃmɛkn̩]. schminken is at rank #26,157, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃmɪŋkn̩].
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 31271, this pair ranks #1,731,475 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of schmecken vs schminken
Shared letters: cehkmns. Private to "schmecken": -. Private to "schminken": i.
"schmecken" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC · "schminken" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "schmecken" for "schminken" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "schmecken" or "schminken" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "schmecken" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "schminken" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,731,475 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "schmecken" and "schminken" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schminken vs schwinden". 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 #1,731,475 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.