Which to use
“schwimmen” is a verb and “Schwimmer” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,399
- “schwimmen” frequency rank
- #13,690
- “Schwimmer” frequency rank
- 17089
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schwimmen | Schwimmer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | sich im Wasser aus eigener Kraft (durch Bewegung der Extremitäten) fortbewegen | schwimmender Mensch |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set schwimmen and Schwimmer apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: schwimmen is [ˈʃvɪmən] while Schwimmer is [ˈʃvɪmɐ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - n in “schwimmen” becomes r in “Schwimmer”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17089, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schwimmen is recorded at frequency rank #3,399, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃvɪmən]. Schwimmer is at rank #13,690, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃvɪmɐ].
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 17089, this pair ranks #1,930,445 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of schwimmen vs Schwimmer
Shared letters: cehimsw. Private to "schwimmen": n. Private to "Schwimmer": r.
"schwimmen" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC · "Schwimmer" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "schwimmen" and "Schwimmer" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "schwimmen" or "Schwimmer"?
Remembering schwimmen vs Schwimmer
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “schwimmen”; for a noun, it's “Schwimmer”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “schwimmen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable