Which to use
“Schmetterlinge” and “Schmetterlingen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,924
- “Schmetterlinge” frequency rank
- #44,201
- “Schmetterlingen” frequency rank
- 59125
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schmetterlinge | Schmetterlingen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Schmetterling | Dativ Plural des Substantivs Schmetterling |
Where the eye mixes Schmetterlinge and Schmetterlingen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 14 letters in sequence. Schmetterlinge runs 14 letters (CCCCVCCVCCVCCV) against Schmetterlingen's 15 (CCCCVCCVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Schmetterlinge with Schmetterlingen
A purely visual mix-up. Schmetterlinge ([ˈʃmɛtɐˌlɪŋə]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “Schmetterlinge” sits inside “Schmetterlingen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59125, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Schmetterlinge is recorded at frequency rank #14,924, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃmɛtɐˌlɪŋə]. 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 59125, this pair ranks #836,329 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Schmetterlinge vs Schmetterlingen
Shared letters: ceghilmnrst. Private to "Schmetterlinge": -. Private to "Schmetterlingen": -.
"Schmetterlinge" · 14 letters · shape CCCCVCCVCCVCCV · "Schmetterlingen" · 15 letters · shape CCCCVCCVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Schmetterlinge ← cshmetterlinge · scchmetterlinge · schemtterlinge · schhmetterlinge · schmeterlinge · schmetetrlinge · schmettelringe · schmetterilnge
- Schmetterlingen ← cshmetterlingen · scchmetterlingen · schemtterlingen · schhmetterlingen · schmeterlingen · schmetetrlingen · schmettelringen · schmetterilngen
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Schmetterlinge" and "Schmetterlingen" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary German text, does "Schmetterlinge" or "Schmetterlingen" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Schmetterlinge" 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 #836,329 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Schmetterlinge" and "Schmetterlingen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Schmetterling 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 #836,329 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.