schmelzen

[ˈʃmɛlt͡sn̩]

/[ˈʃmɛlt͡sn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“schmelzen” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #14,923 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#14,923
frequency rank, German
9
letters
15
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - flüssig werden, vom festen in den flüssigen Aggregatzustand übergehen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

schmelzen vs Schmerzen
78% similar
schmelzen vs schnellen
78% similar
schmelzen vs Schmelzer
78% similar

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

Key facts for schmelzen
PropertyValue
Headwordschmelzen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈʃmɛlt͡sn̩]
Letters9
Frequency rank#14,923
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “schmelzen” 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). schmelzen 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 schmelzen is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʃmɛlt͡sn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #14,923 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 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 schmelzen, with forms such as "cshmelzen", "scchmelzen", and "schemlzen". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "Schmerzen", "schnellen", "Schmelzer", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is schmelzen, spelled S-C-H-M-E-L-Z-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    flüssig werden, vom festen in den flüssigen Aggregatzustand übergehen
  2. 2
    flüssig machen, vom festen in den flüssigen Aggregatzustand bringen
  3. 3
    weiches Gefühl bekommen
  4. 4
    sich verringern, zurückgehen

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cshmelzen,scchmelzen,schemlzen,schhmelzen,schmelezn,schmellzen,schmelzenn,schmelzne,schmelzzen,schmezlen,schmlezen,schmmelzen,scmhelzen,shcmelzen,sschmelzen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cshmelzen2scchmelzen1schemlzen2schhmelzen1schmelezn2schmellzen1schmelzenn1schmelzne2
Edit distance from "schmelzen"

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 "schmelzen"?
"schmelzen" is spelled S-C-H-M-E-L-Z-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃmɛlt͡sn̩].
What does "schmelzen" mean?
As a verb, "schmelzen" means: flüssig werden, vom festen in den flüssigen Aggregatzustand übergehen
What words are commonly confused with "schmelzen"?
"schmelzen" is commonly confused with "Schmerzen", "schnellen", "Schmelzer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "schmelzen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schmelzen" is [ˈʃmɛlt͡sn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "schmelzen" come from?
"schmelzen" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “schmelzen”

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

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