Abschaum

[ˈapˌʃaʊ̯m]

/[ˈapˌʃaʊ̯m]/ noun

The verdict

“Abschaum” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #12,851 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,851
frequency rank, German
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - beim Kochen entstehender Schaum auf der Oberfläche von Flüssigkeiten, der mit einem Schaumlöffel entfernt wird

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Abschaum vs Abscheu
75% similar
Abschaum vs anschaut
63% similar
Abschaum vs anschaue
63% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Abschaum
PropertyValue
HeadwordAbschaum
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈapˌʃaʊ̯m]
Letters8
Frequency rank#12,851
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Abschaum” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Abschaum lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for Abschaum is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈapˌʃaʊ̯m]. Corpus data places it at rank #12,851 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for Abschaum, with forms such as "abbschaum", "abcshaum", and "abscahum". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Abscheu", "anschaut", "anschaue", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is Abschaum, spelled A-B-S-C-H-A-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    beim Kochen entstehender Schaum auf der Oberfläche von Flüssigkeiten, der mit einem Schaumlöffel entfernt wird
  2. 2
    besonders moralisch minderwertiger, verachtenswerter Mensch

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbschaum,abcshaum,abscahum,abscchaum,abschamu,abschaumm,abschhaum,abschuam,abshcaum,absschaum,asbchaum,baschaum

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Abschaum - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

abbschaum1abcshaum2abscahum2abscchaum1abschamu2abschaumm1abschhaum1abschuam2
Edit distance from "Abschaum"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Abschaum"?
"Abschaum" is spelled A-B-S-C-H-A-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈapˌʃaʊ̯m].
What does "Abschaum" mean?
As a noun, "Abschaum" means: beim Kochen entstehender Schaum auf der Oberfläche von Flüssigkeiten, der mit einem Schaumlöffel entfernt wird
What words are commonly confused with "Abschaum"?
"Abschaum" is commonly confused with "Abscheu", "anschaut", "anschaue". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Abschaum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Abschaum" is [ˈapˌʃaʊ̯m]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Abschaum" come from?
"Abschaum" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “Abschaum”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is A-B-S-C-H-A-U-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈapˌʃaʊ̯m] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Abscheu” - see the side-by-side comparison. Abschaum vs Abscheu
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

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