scharf

[ʃaʁf]

/[ʃaʁf]/ adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“scharf” has 10 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #3,070. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,070
frequency rank, German
8,027
“S” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - fähig, etwas zu (zer)schneiden oder zu stechen

Corpus desk

Index DE-scharf · scharf · German

scharf · rank #3,070 · 10 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,070
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 8,027
  • PHOTO-FINISH Runden

Nearest frequency peer: Runden (-1 rank slots)

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “scharf”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “scharf” sits against the nearest ranked German headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

scharf vs Schau
50% similar
scharf vs schuf
67% similar
scharf vs share
67% similar

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

Key facts for scharf
PropertyValue
Headwordscharf
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ʃaʁf]
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,070
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “scharf” 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). scharf lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around scharf (IPA [ʃaʁf]), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #3,070 among 8,027 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 17 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for scharf, with forms such as "csharf", "scahrf", and "sccharf". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Schau", "schuf", "share", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is scharf, spelled S-C-H-A-R-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    fähig, etwas zu (zer)schneiden oder zu stechen
  2. 2
    spitz, mit spitzem Winkel
  3. 3
    sehr eng, mit starker Beugung/Richtungsänderung
  4. 4
    deutlich konturiert, mit klarem Umriss
  5. 5
    fähig, auf der Zunge ein schmerzhaftes Brennen auszulösen
  6. 6
    in der Nase beißend
  7. 7
    grell
  8. 8
    schrill, in unangenehmer Lautstärke
  9. 9
    zur Bezeichnung kalter, rauer Witterung
  10. 10
    reizend, (sexuell) attraktiv, begehrenswert, sehr anziehend
  11. 11
    mit besonderer Aufmerksamkeit; fähig dazu, schnell etwas nicht offensichtliches zu erkennen; findig
  12. 12
    keine Attrappe seiend oder aktiviert worden seiend
  13. 13
    sehr hart und offensiv
  14. 14
    abgerichtet, aggressiv
  15. 15
    von zerstörender, ätzender Wirkung
  16. 16
    von hoher Intensität (Schnelligkeit, Kraft, Energie)
  17. 17
    erhöhte Geräuschintensität stimmloser im Vergleich zu stimmhaften Phonemen

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how scharf appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Das Messer ist so scharf, dass es ein Seidentuch zerschneidet.
  2. Und dann ist er mit dem Kopf auf die scharfe Kante geknallt.

Synonyms

engdeutlichpikantwürzigbeißendstrengheißrattiggeilschroffätzend

Antonyms

stumpfunscharfverschwommenmild

This word in other languages

sharp-edged(English)filoso(Español)tranchant(Français)picante(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • csharf
  • scahrf
  • sccharf
  • schafr
  • scharff
  • scharrf
  • schharf
  • schraf
  • shcarf
  • sscharf

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of scharf - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

csharf2scahrf2sccharf1schafr2scharff1scharrf1schharf1schraf2
Edit distance from "scharf"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "scharf"?
"scharf" is spelled S-C-H-A-R-F. The IPA pronunciation is [ʃaʁf].
What does "scharf" mean?
As an adjective, "scharf" means: fähig, etwas zu (zer)schneiden oder zu stechen
What words are commonly confused with "scharf"?
"scharf" is commonly confused with "Schau", "schuf", "share". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "scharf"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scharf" is [ʃaʁf]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "scharf" come from?
"scharf" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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.

Similar German words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "scharf", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked German headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Runden#3,069Schlag#3,071stirbt#3,078Stücke#3,079

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

parallel10 variantsTurnier10 variantsGabriel10 variantsAnfrage10 variants
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