Which to use
“schrumpfen” and “schrumpft” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,300
- “schrumpfen” frequency rank
- #24,501
- “schrumpft” frequency rank
- 49801
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schrumpfen | schrumpft |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | kleiner werden, an Größe verlieren | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schrumpfen |
Where the eye mixes schrumpfen and schrumpft
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. schrumpfen runs 10 letters (CCCCVCCCVC) against schrumpft's 9 (CCCCVCCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: schrumpfen vs schrumpft
A purely visual mix-up. schrumpfen ([ˈʃʁʊmp͡fn̩]) and schrumpft ([ʃʁʊmp͡ft]) 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 49801, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schrumpfen is recorded at frequency rank #25,300, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃʁʊmp͡fn̩]. schrumpft is at rank #24,501, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃʁʊmp͡ft].
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 49801, this pair ranks #1,197,894 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of schrumpfen vs schrumpft
Shared letters: cfhmprsu. Private to "schrumpfen": en. Private to "schrumpft": t.
"schrumpfen" · 10 letters · shape CCCCVCCCVC · "schrumpft" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- schrumpfen ← cshrumpfen · scchrumpfen · schhrumpfen · schrmupfen · schrrumpfen · schrumfpen · schrummpfen · schrumpefn
- schrumpft ← cshrumpft · scchrumpft · schhrumpft · schrmupft · schrrumpft · schrumfpt · schrummpft · schrumpfft
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "schrumpfen" and "schrumpft" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "schrumpfen" or "schrumpft"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "schrumpfen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "schrumpft" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,197,894 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "schrumpfen" and "schrumpft" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Schlümpfe vs schrumpfen". 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 #1,197,894 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.