schmalen

[ˈʃmaːlən]

/[ˈʃmaːlən]/ adj

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

The verdict

“schmalen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #9,086 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#9,086
frequency rank, German
8
letters
13
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

schmalen vs Schulen
63% similar
schmalen vs Schmalz
63% similar
schmalen vs Schwaben
63% similar

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

Key facts for schmalen
PropertyValue
Headwordschmalen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈʃmaːlən]
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,086
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “schmalen” 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). schmalen 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 schmalen is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʃmaːlən]. Corpus data places it at rank #9,086 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for schmalen, with forms such as "cshmalen", "scchmalen", and "schamlen". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Schulen", "Schmalz", "Schwaben", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is schmalen, spelled S-C-H-M-A-L-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal
  2. 2
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal
  3. 3
    Genitiv Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal
  4. 4
    Dativ Plural alle Genera der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal
  5. 5
    Genitiv Singular alle Genera der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal
  6. 6
    Dativ Singular alle Genera der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal
  7. 7
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal
  8. 8
    Alle Kasus Plural alle Genera der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal
  9. 9
    Genitiv Singular alle Genera der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal
  10. 10
    Dativ Singular alle Genera der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal
  11. 11
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal
  12. 12
    Alle Kasus Plural alle Genera der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cshmalen,scchmalen,schamlen,schhmalen,schmaeln,schmalenn,schmallen,schmalne,schmlaen,schmmalen,scmhalen,shcmalen,sschmalen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of schmalen - 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.

cshmalen2scchmalen1schamlen2schhmalen1schmaeln2schmalenn1schmallen1schmalne2
Edit distance from "schmalen"

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 "schmalen"?
"schmalen" is spelled S-C-H-M-A-L-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃmaːlən].
What does "schmalen" mean?
As an adjective, "schmalen" means: Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs schmal
What words are commonly confused with "schmalen"?
"schmalen" is commonly confused with "Schulen", "Schmalz", "Schwaben". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "schmalen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schmalen" is [ˈʃmaːlən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "schmalen" come from?
"schmalen" 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.

Using “schmalen”

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

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