Which to use
“schmelze” and “schmilzt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #36,009
- “schmelze” frequency rank
- #22,130
- “schmilzt” frequency rank
- 58139
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schmelze | schmilzt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schmelzen | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schmelzen |
Where the eye mixes schmelze and schmilzt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. schmelze (CCCCVCCV) and schmilzt (CCCCVCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses schmelze with schmilzt
A purely visual mix-up. schmelze ([ˈʃmɛlt͡sə]) and schmilzt ([ʃmɪlt͡st]) 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 58139, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schmelze is recorded at frequency rank #36,009, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃmɛlt͡sə]. schmilzt is at rank #22,130, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃmɪlt͡st].
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 58139, this pair ranks #874,246 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of schmelze vs schmilzt
Shared letters: chlmsz. Private to "schmelze": e. Private to "schmilzt": it.
"schmelze" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCV · "schmilzt" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "schmelze" and "schmilzt" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "schmelze" vs "schmilzt" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "schmelze" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "schmilzt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #874,246 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "schmelze" and "schmilzt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schiele vs schmelze". 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 #874,246 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.