schema

/ˈskiːmə/

//ˈskiːmə// noun

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

"schema" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“schema” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,581. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,581
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An outline or image universally applicable to a general conception, under which it is likely to be presented to the mind (for example, a body schema).

Corpus desk

Index EN-schema · schema · English

schema · rank #24,581 · 9 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #24,581
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH schizophrenic

Nearest frequency peer: schizophrenic (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “schema”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “schema” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

schema vs Shea
50% similar
schema vs Shem
50% similar
schema vs Sheba
50% similar

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

Key facts for schema
PropertyValue
Headwordschema
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈskiːmə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#24,581
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “schema”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).schemalands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “schizophrenic” (#24,582), “RW” (#24,579), “Schwarzenegger” (#24,583). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “schema” is #24,581. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around schema (IPA /ˈskiːmə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #24,581 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for schema, with forms such as "cshema", "scchema", and "scehma". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "Shea", "Shem", "Sheba", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unadapted borrowing from Latin schēma, from Ancient Greek σχῆμα (skhêma, “form, shape”). Doublet of scheme. The correct English form is schema, spelled S-C-H-E-M-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    An outline or image universally applicable to a general conception, under which it is likely to be presented to the mind (for example, a body schema).
  2. 2
    A formal description of the structure of a database: the names of the tables, the names of the columns of each table, and the data type and other attributes of each column.
  3. 3
    A formal description of data, data types, and data file structures, such as XML schemas for XML files.
  4. 4
    A formula in the metalanguage of an axiomatic system, in which one or more schematic variables appear, which stand for any term or subformula of the system, which may or may not be required to satisfy certain conditions.
  5. 5
    A monastic habit in the Greek Orthodox Church.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how schema appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The database schema defines how the tables are organized.

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Latin schēma, from Ancient Greek σχῆμα (skhêma, “form, shape”). Doublet of scheme.

Synonyms

schematschemataxiom schemaschemat

This word in other languages

schéma(Français)Schema(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cshema
  • scchema
  • scehma
  • scheam
  • schemma
  • schhema
  • schmea
  • shcema
  • sschema

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cshema2scchema1scehma2scheam2schemma1schhema1schmea2shcema2
Edit distance from "schema"

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "schema"?
"schema" is spelled S-C-H-E-M-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskiːmə/.
What does "schema" mean?
As a noun, "schema" means: An outline or image universally applicable to a general conception, under which it is likely to be presented to the mind (for example, a body schema).
What words are commonly confused with "schema"?
"schema" is commonly confused with "Shea", "Shem", "Sheba". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "schema"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schema" is /ˈskiːmə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "schema"?
Unadapted borrowing from Latin schēma, from Ancient Greek σχῆμα (skhêma, “form, shape”). Doublet of scheme. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "schema", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sighed#24,590sonata#24,595sugary#24,603tanned#24,608

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Peugeot9 variantsMonique9 variantsarousal9 variantsinnovate9 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list