Which to use
“Schmetterling” and “Schmetterlinge” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,010
- “Schmetterling” frequency rank
- #14,924
- “Schmetterlinge” frequency rank
- 27934
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schmetterling | Schmetterlinge |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Insekt mit farbig beschuppten Flügeln (Ordnung Lepidoptera) | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Schmetterling |
Where the eye mixes Schmetterling and Schmetterlinge
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 13 letters in sequence. Schmetterling runs 13 letters (CCCCVCCVCCVCC) against Schmetterlinge's 14 (CCCCVCCVCCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Schmetterling vs Schmetterlinge
A purely visual mix-up. Schmetterling ([ˈʃmɛtɐlɪŋ]) and Schmetterlinge ([ˈʃmɛtɐˌlɪŋə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Schmetterling” sits inside “Schmetterlinge”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27934, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Schmetterling is recorded at frequency rank #13,010, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃmɛtɐlɪŋ]. Schmetterlinge is at rank #14,924, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃmɛtɐˌlɪŋə].
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 27934, this pair ranks #1,793,400 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Schmetterling vs Schmetterlinge
Shared letters: ceghilmnrst. Private to "Schmetterling": -. Private to "Schmetterlinge": -.
"Schmetterling" · 13 letters · shape CCCCVCCVCCVCC · "Schmetterlinge" · 14 letters · shape CCCCVCCVCCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- Schmetterling ← cshmetterling · scchmetterling · schemtterling · schhmetterling · schmeterling · schmetetrling · schmettelring · schmetterilng
- Schmetterlinge ← cshmetterlinge · scchmetterlinge · schemtterlinge · schhmetterlinge · schmeterlinge · schmetetrlinge · schmettelringe · schmetterilnge
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Schmetterling" for "Schmetterlinge" ever safe?
Frequency check: "Schmetterling" vs "Schmetterlinge" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "Schmetterling" and "Schmetterlinge" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Schmetterling" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Schmetterlinge" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,793,400 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Schmetterling" and "Schmetterlinge" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Schmetterlinge vs Schmetterlingen". 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 #1,793,400 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.