Which to use
“Schmetterling” and “Schmetterlingen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,010
- “Schmetterling” frequency rank
- #44,201
- “Schmetterlingen” frequency rank
- 57211
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schmetterling | Schmetterlingen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Insekt mit farbig beschuppten Flügeln (Ordnung Lepidoptera) | Dativ Plural des Substantivs Schmetterling |
Where the eye mixes Schmetterling and Schmetterlingen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 13 letters in sequence. Schmetterling runs 13 letters (CCCCVCCVCCVCC) against Schmetterlingen's 15 (CCCCVCCVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Schmetterling vs Schmetterlingen
A purely visual mix-up. Schmetterling ([ˈʃmɛtɐlɪŋ]) and Schmetterlingen ([ˈʃmɛtɐˌlɪŋən]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “Schmetterling” sits inside “Schmetterlingen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57211, 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]. Schmetterlingen is at rank #44,201, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃmɛtɐˌlɪŋən].
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 57211, this pair ranks #910,171 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Schmetterling vs Schmetterlingen
Shared letters: ceghilmnrst. Private to "Schmetterling": -. Private to "Schmetterlingen": -.
"Schmetterling" · 13 letters · shape CCCCVCCVCCVCC · "Schmetterlingen" · 15 letters · shape CCCCVCCVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Schmetterling ← cshmetterling · scchmetterling · schemtterling · schhmetterling · schmeterling · schmetetrling · schmettelring · schmetterilng
- Schmetterlingen ← cshmetterlingen · scchmetterlingen · schemtterlingen · schhmetterlingen · schmeterlingen · schmetetrlingen · schmettelringen · schmetterilngen
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Schmetterling" and "Schmetterlingen" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "Schmetterling" vs "Schmetterlingen" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Schmetterling" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Schmetterlingen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #910,171 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Schmetterling" and "Schmetterlingen" 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 #910,171 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.