Which to use
“Schmutz” and “Schutz” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,165
- “Schmutz” frequency rank
- #1,242
- “Schutz” frequency rank
- 13407
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schmutz | Schutz |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Unsauberkeit, feuchter Dreck, Staub | Ding, Handlung, Maßnahme, etwas, das die Sicherheit verbessern oder garantieren, vor Schaden bewahren soll |
Where the eye mixes Schmutz and Schutz
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Schmutz runs 7 letters (CCCCVCC) against Schutz's 6 (CCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Schmutz with Schutz
A purely visual mix-up. Schmutz ([ʃmʊt͡s]) and Schutz ([ʃʊt͡s]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13407, 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]. Schutz is at rank #1,242, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃʊt͡s].
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 13407, this pair ranks #1,958,196 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Schmutz vs Schutz
Shared letters: chstuz. Private to "Schmutz": m. Private to "Schutz": -.
"Schmutz" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVCC · "Schutz" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Schmutz" for "Schutz" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Schmutz" or "Schutz"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "Schmutz" and "Schutz" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Schmutz" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Schutz" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,958,196 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Schmutz" and "Schutz" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Schmutz vs schütt". 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 #1,958,196 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.