schmiertvsschmilztConfusable pair

Which to use

“schmiert” and “schmilzt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#44,202
“schmiert” frequency rank
#22,130
“schmilzt” frequency rank
66332
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature schmiert schmilzt
Definition 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schmieren 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schmelzen

Where the eye mixes schmiert and schmilzt

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.

8 ch
schmiert
8 ch
schmilzt

Visual trap between schmiert and schmilzt

A purely visual mix-up. schmiert ([ʃmiːɐ̯t]) and schmilzt ([ʃmɪlt͡st]) 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 66332, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

schmiert is recorded at frequency rank #44,202, classified as averb, pronounced [ʃmiːɐ̯t]. schmilzt is at rank #22,130, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃmɪlt͡st].

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 66332, this pair ranks #576,936 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of schmiert vs schmilzt

Shared letters: chimst. Private to "schmiert": er. Private to "schmilzt": lz.

"schmiert" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVVCC  ·  "schmilzt" · 8 letters · shape CCCCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • schmiertcshmiert · scchmiert · schhmiert · schmeirt · schmierrt · schmiertt · schmietr · schmiret
  • schmilztcshmilzt · scchmilzt · schhmilzt · schimlzt · schmillzt · schmiltz · schmilztt · schmilzzt

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "schmiert" and "schmilzt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ʃmiːɐ̯t] versus [ʃmɪlt͡st]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "schmiert" or "schmilzt"?
"schmilzt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #22,130 in our German list, against #44,202 for "schmiert". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "schmiert" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "schmilzt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #576,936 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "schmiert" and "schmilzt" 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 #576,936 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list