Schwein

[ʃvaɪ̯n]

/[ʃvaɪ̯n]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Schwein” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #5,760 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,760
frequency rank, German
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Säugetier und Paarhufer mit kurzen Beinen, verlängerter rüsselartiger Schnauze, Borsten

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Schwein vs schwer
57% similar
Schwein vs Schweiz
86% similar
Schwein vs schwere
57% similar

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

Key facts for Schwein
PropertyValue
HeadwordSchwein
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ʃvaɪ̯n]
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,760
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Schwein” 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). Schwein 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 Schwein is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ʃvaɪ̯n]. Corpus data places it at rank #5,760 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Schwein, with forms such as "cshwein", "scchwein", and "schewin". 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", "Schweiz", "schwere", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is Schwein, spelled S-C-H-W-E-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Säugetier und Paarhufer mit kurzen Beinen, verlängerter rüsselartiger Schnauze, Borsten
  2. 2
    Schweinefleisch, Schweinernes
  3. 3
    Schimpfwort für einen
  4. 4
    Schimpfwort für einen
  5. 5
    Schimpfwort für einen
  6. 6
    „schweine-, Schweine-“ (unbetont): Übertreibung, Steigerung (meist negativ: Schimpfwort)
  7. 7
    (meist in Verbindung mit haben und ohne Artikel) Glück; positiver Situationszufall (siehe auch Redewendung: Schwein haben)

Synonyms

BorstentierBorstenviehGrunzerJolantheMatzWutzSuidaeSusAasArschHalunkeKanailleKreaturLuderLumpRabenaasSchuftSchurkeFerkelSauSchmutzfinkZotenreißerWutzarsch-Arsch-sau-Sau-hunde-Hunde-

This word in other languages

pig(English)cerdo(Español)cochon(Français)porco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cshwein,scchwein,schewin,schhwein,schweinn,schweni,schwien,schwwein,scwhein,shcwein,sschwein

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cshwein2scchwein1schewin2schhwein1schweinn1schweni2schwien2schwwein1
Edit distance from "Schwein"

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 "Schwein"?
"Schwein" is spelled S-C-H-W-E-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ʃvaɪ̯n].
What does "Schwein" mean?
As a noun, "Schwein" means: Säugetier und Paarhufer mit kurzen Beinen, verlängerter rüsselartiger Schnauze, Borsten
What words are commonly confused with "Schwein"?
"Schwein" is commonly confused with "schwer", "Schweiz", "schwere". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Schwein"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Schwein" is [ʃvaɪ̯n]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Schwein" come from?
"Schwein" 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 “Schwein”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is S-C-H-W-E-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ʃvaɪ̯n] (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. Schwein 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