Which to use
“Schrei” and “Schweif” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,088
- “Schrei” frequency rank
- #42,117
- “Schweif” frequency rank
- 51205
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schrei | Schweif |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein plötzlich ausgestoßener, lauter Ruf als Reaktion auf äußere oder innere Reize | Schwanz des Pferdes |
Where the eye mixes Schrei and Schweif
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Schrei runs 6 letters (CCCCVV) against Schweif's 7 (CCCCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Schrei and Schweif
A purely visual mix-up. Schrei ([ʃʁaɪ̯]) and Schweif ([ʃvaɪ̯f]) 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 51205, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Schrei is recorded at frequency rank #9,088, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʃʁaɪ̯]. Schweif is at rank #42,117, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃvaɪ̯f].
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 51205, this pair ranks #1,144,443 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Schrei vs Schweif
Shared letters: cehis. Private to "Schrei": r. Private to "Schweif": fw.
"Schrei" · 6 letters · shape CCCCVV · "Schweif" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Schrei" and "Schweif" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Schrei" or "Schweif"?
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 "Schrei" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Schweif" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,144,443 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Schrei" and "Schweif" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schleift vs Schweif". 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 #1,144,443 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.