Schwelle

[ˈʃvɛlə]

/[ˈʃvɛlə]/ noun

The verdict

“Schwelle” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #13,236 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,236
frequency rank, German
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - unterer Querbalken eines Türrahmens, über den man zum Eintreten geht

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Schwelle vs schwere
63% similar
Schwelle vs Schwule
75% similar
Schwelle vs Schwelm
75% similar

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

Key facts for Schwelle
PropertyValue
HeadwordSchwelle
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈʃvɛlə]
Letters8
Frequency rank#13,236
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Schwelle” 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). Schwelle 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 Schwelle is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʃvɛlə]. Corpus data places it at rank #13,236 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 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Schwelle, with forms such as "cshwelle", "scchwelle", and "schewlle". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "schwere", "Schwule", "Schwelm", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Schwelle, spelled S-C-H-W-E-L-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    unterer Querbalken eines Türrahmens, über den man zum Eintreten geht
  2. 2
    an der Schwelle von etwas: am (zeitlichen oder örtlichen) Anfang von etwas
  3. 3
    Minimalwert einer Größe, ab der ein interessierender Effekt einsetzt (Relevanz, Wahrnehmung, Schalten und so weiter)
  4. 4
    einer der Balken, auf denen die (Eisenbahn-)Schienen ruhen

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cshwelle,scchwelle,schewlle,schhwelle,schwele,schwelel,schwlele,schwwelle,scwhelle,shcwelle,sschwelle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cshwelle2scchwelle1schewlle2schhwelle1schwele1schwelel2schwlele2schwwelle1
Edit distance from "Schwelle"

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 "Schwelle"?
"Schwelle" is spelled S-C-H-W-E-L-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʃvɛlə].
What does "Schwelle" mean?
As a noun, "Schwelle" means: unterer Querbalken eines Türrahmens, über den man zum Eintreten geht
What words are commonly confused with "Schwelle"?
"Schwelle" is commonly confused with "schwere", "Schwule", "Schwelm". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Schwelle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Schwelle" is [ˈʃvɛlə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Schwelle" come from?
"Schwelle" 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 “Schwelle”

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

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