Which to use
“Schmutz” is a noun and “schmutzig” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #12,165
- “Schmutz” frequency rank
- #12,376
- “schmutzig” frequency rank
- 24541
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schmutz | schmutzig |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Unsauberkeit, feuchter Dreck, Staub | nicht sauber, mit Schmutz behaftet |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Schmutz and schmutzig apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Schmutz and schmutzig form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “Schmutz” sits inside “schmutzig” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24541, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Schmutz is recorded at frequency rank #12,165, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʃmʊt͡s]. schmutzig is at rank #12,376, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃmʊt͡sɪç].
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 24541, this pair ranks #1,846,106 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Schmutz" and "schmutzig" be used interchangeably?
Remembering Schmutz vs schmutzig
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Schmutz”; for an adjective, it's “schmutzig”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Schmutz” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable