schwarz

[ʃvaʁt͡s]

/[ʃvaʁt͡s]/ adj

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

The verdict

“schwarz” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #842 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#842
frequency rank, German
7
letters
12
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Licht nahezu komplett absorbierende Farbe, im RGB-Farbraum mit Werten von Rot, Blau und Grün nahe Null

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

schwarz vs schwer
71% similar
schwarz vs Schwyz
57% similar
schwarz vs Schwur
57% similar

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

Key facts for schwarz
PropertyValue
Headwordschwarz
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ʃvaʁt͡s]
Letters7
Frequency rank#842
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “schwarz” 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). schwarz 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 schwarz is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ʃvaʁt͡s]. Corpus data places it at rank #842 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for schwarz, with forms such as "cshwarz", "scchwarz", and "schawrz". 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, "schwer", "Schwyz", "Schwur", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is schwarz, spelled S-C-H-W-A-R-Z.

Definition

  1. 1
    Licht nahezu komplett absorbierende Farbe, im RGB-Farbraum mit Werten von Rot, Blau und Grün nahe Null
  2. 2
    von sehr dunkler Farbe, mit einem leichten Farbstich (besonders Blau- oder Braunstich)
  3. 3
    sehr dunkel, lichtlos
  4. 4
    einem dunkelhäutigen Menschentyp (vor allem afrikanischen Ursprungs) angehörend, auch: durch ihn charakterisiert, mit Schwarzen als Urheber
  5. 5
    schwarze Haare habend
  6. 6
    ohne Milch und Zucker
  7. 7
    konservativ, katholisch; auch reaktionär
  8. 8
    anarchistisch, links-anarchistisch
  9. 9
    unheilvoll; einem Geheimnisvollen, Gesetzwidrigen oder Bösen verhaftet oder unterworfen seiend; pessimistisch, negativ denkend
  10. 10
    boshaft, böse, niederträchtig denkend und seiend, negativ beurteilt und beurteilend
  11. 11
    gesetzwidrig, illegal handelnd, sich aufhaltend, Geschäfte tätigend, Geld waschend
  12. 12
    dreckig, schmutzig, unrein
  13. 13
    keine Augen erzielend, leer ausgehend
  14. 14
    entweder Pik oder Kreuz
  15. 15
    der Schwarzen Szene/Gothic-Szene zugehörig
  16. 16
    Spielfarbe derjenigen Ziffern, die nicht 0 oder rot sind

Synonyms

schwarzhaarig

Antonyms

weißgrauweißhellhäutigeuropäischgelbasiatischrotblondgebleichtgrauweißweißlichkomplettrotevangelischoffenoptimistischgutehrlichgesetzeskonformgesetzestreulegalgewaschenreinsauberrot

This word in other languages

black(English)negro(Español)noir(Français)preto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cshwarz,scchwarz,schawrz,schhwarz,schwarrz,schwarzz,schwazr,schwraz,schwwarz,scwharz,shcwarz,sschwarz

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cshwarz2scchwarz1schawrz2schhwarz1schwarrz1schwarzz1schwazr2schwraz2
Edit distance from "schwarz"

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 "schwarz"?
"schwarz" is spelled S-C-H-W-A-R-Z. The IPA pronunciation is [ʃvaʁt͡s].
What does "schwarz" mean?
As an adjective, "schwarz" means: Licht nahezu komplett absorbierende Farbe, im RGB-Farbraum mit Werten von Rot, Blau und Grün nahe Null
What words are commonly confused with "schwarz"?
"schwarz" is commonly confused with "schwer", "Schwyz", "Schwur". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "schwarz"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schwarz" is [ʃvaʁt͡s]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "schwarz" come from?
"schwarz" 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 “schwarz”

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

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