schlecht

[ʃlɛçt]

/[ʃlɛçt]/ adj

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

The verdict

“schlecht” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #649 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#649
frequency rank, German
8
letters
14
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - nicht den Anforderungen oder Erwartungen entsprechend, weil mit Mängeln behaftet

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

schlecht vs schlich
75% similar
schlecht vs schmeckt
75% similar
schlecht vs schlicht
88% similar

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

Key facts for schlecht
PropertyValue
Headwordschlecht
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ʃlɛçt]
Letters8
Frequency rank#649
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “schlecht” 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). schlecht 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 schlecht is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ʃlɛçt]. Corpus data places it at rank #649 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for schlecht, with forms such as "cshlecht", "scchlecht", and "schelcht". 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, "schlich", "schmeckt", "schlicht", and more, 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 any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is schlecht, spelled S-C-H-L-E-C-H-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    nicht den Anforderungen oder Erwartungen entsprechend, weil mit Mängeln behaftet
  2. 2
    nicht hinreichend gut, wenn man es mit dem Zustand vergleicht, der ausreichend oder sogar gut ist
  3. 3
    nicht mehr genießbar/anwendbar, etwa bei Lebensmitteln
  4. 4
    moralisch nicht akzeptabel
  5. 5
    sich unwohl oder krank fühlend
  6. 6
    nicht so, dass es fördert und nützt, sondern so, dass es schadet
  7. 7
    nicht so einfach, nur unter großen Mühen

Antonyms

gutgutleicht

This word in other languages

bad(English)malo(Español)mauvais(Français)mau(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cshlecht,scchlecht,schelcht,schhlecht,schlceht,schleccht,schlechht,schlechtt,schlecth,schlehct,schllecht,sclhecht,shclecht,sschlecht

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of schlecht - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

cshlecht2scchlecht1schelcht2schhlecht1schlceht2schleccht1schlechht1schlechtt1
Edit distance from "schlecht"

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 "schlecht"?
"schlecht" is spelled S-C-H-L-E-C-H-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ʃlɛçt].
What does "schlecht" mean?
As an adjective, "schlecht" means: nicht den Anforderungen oder Erwartungen entsprechend, weil mit Mängeln behaftet
What words are commonly confused with "schlecht"?
"schlecht" is commonly confused with "schlich", "schmeckt", "schlicht". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "schlecht"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schlecht" is [ʃlɛçt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "schlecht" come from?
"schlecht" 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 “schlecht”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-C-H-L-E-C-H-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ʃlɛçt] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “schlich” - see the side-by-side comparison. schlecht vs schlich
  • 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