Which to use
“schwimm” and “schwimmen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #27,482
- “schwimm” frequency rank
- #3,399
- “schwimmen” frequency rank
- 30881
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schwimm | schwimmen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs schwimmen | sich im Wasser aus eigener Kraft (durch Bewegung der Extremitäten) fortbewegen |
Where the eye mixes schwimm and schwimmen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. schwimm runs 7 letters (CCCCVCC) against schwimmen's 9 (CCCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: schwimm vs schwimmen
A purely visual mix-up. schwimm ([ʃvɪm]) and schwimmen ([ˈʃvɪmən]) 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) - “schwimm” sits inside “schwimmen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30881, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schwimm is recorded at frequency rank #27,482, classified as averb, pronounced [ʃvɪm]. schwimmen is at rank #3,399, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃvɪmən].
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 30881, this pair ranks #1,739,232 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of schwimm vs schwimmen
Shared letters: chimsw. Private to "schwimm": -. Private to "schwimmen": en.
"schwimm" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVCC · "schwimmen" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "schwimm" and "schwimmen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "schwimm" or "schwimmen"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "schwimm" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "schwimmen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,739,232 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "schwimm" and "schwimmen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Schwelm vs schwimm". 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 #1,739,232 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.