Which to use
“Schurke” and “Schurken” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #49,237
- “Schurke” frequency rank
- #31,780
- “Schurken” frequency rank
- 81017
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schurke | Schurken |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemand, der moralisch verwerflich handelt | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Schurke |
Where the eye mixes Schurke and Schurken
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. Schurke runs 7 letters (CCCVCCV) against Schurken's 8 (CCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Schurke and Schurken
A purely visual mix-up. Schurke ([ˈʃʊʁkə]) and Schurken ([ˈʃʊʁkən]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Schurke” sits inside “Schurken”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 81017, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Schurke is recorded at frequency rank #49,237, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃʊʁkə]. Schurken is at rank #31,780, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃʊʁkən].
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 81017, this pair ranks #183,971 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of Schurke vs Schurken
Shared letters: cehkrsu. Private to "Schurke": -. Private to "Schurken": n.
"Schurke" · 7 letters · shape CCCVCCV · "Schurken" · 8 letters · shape CCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Schurke" for "Schurken" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Schurke" or "Schurken"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "Schurke" and "Schurken" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Schurke" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Schurken" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #183,971 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Schurke" and "Schurken" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schlucke vs Schurke". 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 #183,971 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.