Which to use
“schreib” and “schreibst” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,219
- “schreib” frequency rank
- #6,722
- “schreibst” frequency rank
- 11941
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schreib | schreibst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schreiben | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schreiben |
Where the eye mixes schreib and schreibst
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. schreib runs 7 letters (CCCCVVC) against schreibst's 9 (CCCCVVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses schreib with schreibst
A purely visual mix-up. schreib ([ʃʁaɪ̯p]) and schreibst ([ʃʁaɪ̯pst]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “schreib” sits inside “schreibst”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11941, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schreib is recorded at frequency rank #5,219, classified as averb, pronounced [ʃʁaɪ̯p]. schreibst is at rank #6,722, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃʁaɪ̯pst].
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 11941, this pair ranks #1,967,097 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of schreib vs schreibst
Shared letters: bcehirs. Private to "schreib": -. Private to "schreibst": t.
"schreib" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVVC · "schreibst" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "schreib" for "schreibst" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "schreib" or "schreibst" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "schreib" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "schreibst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,967,097 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "schreib" and "schreibst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schreib vs Schreier". 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 #1,967,097 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.