SchuldenvsSchüssenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Schulden” and “Schüssen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#3,150
“Schulden” frequency rank
#24,120
“Schüssen” frequency rank
27270
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schulden Schüssen
Definition die gesamten Verpflichtungen (Passiva) einer Person oder einer Firma, die dem vorhandenen Vermögen (Aktiva) gegenüber stehen Dativ Plural des Substantivs Schuss

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Schulden and Schüssen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Schulden
8 ch
Schüssen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schulden ([ˈʃʊldn̩]) and Schüssen ([ˈʃʏsn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27270, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schulden is recorded at frequency rank #3,150, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃʊldn̩]. Schüssen is at rank #24,120, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃʏsn̩].

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 27270, this pair ranks #1,804,520 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Schulden vs Schüssen

Shared letters: cehns. Private to "Schulden": dlu. Private to "Schüssen": ü.

"Schulden" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCCVC  ·  "Schüssen" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Schuldencshulden · scchulden · schhulden · schluden · schudlen · schuldden · schuldenn · schuldne

Frequency comparison

Schulden#3,150
Schüssen#24,120

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schulden" and "Schüssen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃʊldn̩] versus [ˈʃʏsn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schulden" or "Schüssen"?
"Schulden" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,150 in our German list, against #24,120 for "Schüssen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schulden vs Schüssen

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Schulden” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list