Which to use
“schmerzt” and “schmiert” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,687
- “schmerzt” frequency rank
- #44,202
- “schmiert” frequency rank
- 57889
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schmerzt | schmiert |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schmerzen | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schmieren |
Where the eye mixes schmerzt and schmiert
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. schmerzt (CCCCVCCC) and schmiert (CCCCVVCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between schmerzt and schmiert
A purely visual mix-up. schmerzt ([ʃmɛʁt͡st]) and schmiert ([ʃmiːɐ̯t]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57889, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schmerzt is recorded at frequency rank #13,687, classified as averb, pronounced [ʃmɛʁt͡st]. schmiert is at rank #44,202, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃmiːɐ̯t].
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 57889, this pair ranks #883,839 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of schmerzt vs schmiert
Shared letters: cehmrst. Private to "schmerzt": z. Private to "schmiert": i.
"schmerzt" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCC · "schmiert" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "schmerzt" for "schmiert" ever safe?
Which is more common, "schmerzt" or "schmiert"?
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 "schmerzt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "schmiert" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #883,839 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "schmerzt" and "schmiert" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Schmiere vs schmiert". 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 #883,839 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.