schwerstenvsSchwerterWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: schwersten is a adjective, Schwerter is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“schwersten” is an adjective and “Schwerter” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#14,404
“schwersten” frequency rank
#18,694
“Schwerter” frequency rank
33098
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature schwersten Schwerter
Definition Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs schwer Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Schwert

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set schwersten and Schwerter apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
schwersten
9 ch
Schwerter

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: schwersten is [ˈʃveːɐ̯stn̩] while Schwerter is [ˈʃveːɐ̯tɐ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33098, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

schwersten is recorded at frequency rank #14,404, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃveːɐ̯stn̩]. Schwerter is at rank #18,694, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃveːɐ̯tɐ].

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 33098, this pair ranks #1,693,311 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of schwersten vs Schwerter

Shared letters: cehrstw. Private to "schwersten": n. Private to "Schwerter": -.

"schwersten" · 10 letters · shape CCCCVCCCVC  ·  "Schwerter" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • schwerstencshwersten · scchwersten · schewrsten · schhwersten · schwerrsten · schwersetn · schwerssten · schwerstenn
  • Schwertercshwerter · scchwerter · schewrter · schhwerter · schweretr · schwerrter · schwerterr · schwertre

Frequency comparison

schwersten#14,404
Schwerter#18,694

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "schwersten" and "Schwerter" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "schwersten" is an adjective and "Schwerter" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "schwersten" or "Schwerter"?
"schwersten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,404 in our German list, against #18,694 for "Schwerter". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering schwersten vs Schwerter

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “schwersten”; for a noun, it's “Schwerter”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “schwersten” 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