schlummern

[ˈʃlʊmɐn]

/[ˈʃlʊmɐn]/ verb

The verdict

“schlummern” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #44,894 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#44,894
frequency rank, German
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ruhig, seicht schlafen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

schlummern vs schummeln
80% similar
schlummern vs schlummert
90% similar
schlummern vs schlimmer
80% similar

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

Key facts for schlummern
PropertyValue
Headwordschlummern
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈʃlʊmɐn]
Letters10
Frequency rank#44,894
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “schlummern” 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). schlummern 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 schlummern is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʃlʊmɐn]. Corpus data places it at rank #44,894 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 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for schlummern, with forms such as "cshlummern", "scchlummern", and "schhlummern". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "schummeln", "schlummert", "schlimmer", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is schlummern, spelled S-C-H-L-U-M-M-E-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    ruhig, seicht schlafen
  2. 2
    noch im Verborgenen sein

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cshlummern,scchlummern,schhlummern,schllummern,schlmumern,schlumemrn,schlumern,schlummenr,schlummernn,schlummerrn,schlummren,schulmmern,sclhummern,shclummern,sschlummern

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cshlummern2scchlummern1schhlummern1schllummern1schlmumern2schlumemrn2schlumern1schlummenr2
Edit distance from "schlummern"

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 "schlummern"?
"schlummern" is spelled S-C-H-L-U-M-M-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃlʊmɐn].
What does "schlummern" mean?
As a verb, "schlummern" means: ruhig, seicht schlafen
What words are commonly confused with "schlummern"?
"schlummern" is commonly confused with "schummeln", "schlummert", "schlimmer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "schlummern"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schlummern" is [ˈʃlʊmɐn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "schlummern" come from?
"schlummern" 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 “schlummern”

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

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