Which to use
“Schmiere” and “Schminke” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #48,457
- “Schmiere” frequency rank
- #27,042
- “Schminke” frequency rank
- 75499
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schmiere | Schminke |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ölige, fetthaltige Substanz, besonders Schmiermittel und Schuhcreme | Substanz oder Produkt zur farblichen Gestaltung von Haut, Augen oder Gesicht |
Where the eye mixes Schmiere and Schminke
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Schmiere (CCCCVVCV) and Schminke (CCCCVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses Schmiere with Schminke
A purely visual mix-up. Schmiere ([ˈʃmiːʁə]) and Schminke ([ˈʃmɪŋkə]) 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 75499, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Schmiere is recorded at frequency rank #48,457, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃmiːʁə]. Schminke is at rank #27,042, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃmɪŋkə].
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 75499, this pair ranks #306,452 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of Schmiere vs Schminke
Shared letters: cehims. Private to "Schmiere": r. Private to "Schminke": kn.
"Schmiere" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVVCV · "Schminke" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Schmiere" and "Schminke" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "Schmiere" or "Schminke"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Schmiere" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Schminke" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #306,452 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Schmiere" and "Schminke" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schlieren vs Schmiere". 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 #306,452 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.