schmaltz

/ʃmɒlts/

//ʃmɒlts// noun

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

"schmaltz" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“schmaltz” is uncommon English (frequency #75,390 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,390
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Rendered chicken or goose fat.

Corpus desk

Index EN-schmaltz · schmaltz · English

schmaltz · rank #75,390 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #75,390
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Scoville

Nearest frequency peer: Scoville (+2 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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “schmaltz”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “schmaltz” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for schmaltz
PropertyValue
Headwordschmaltz
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ʃmɒlts/
Letters8
Frequency rank#75,390
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “schmaltz” sits in English 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).schmaltzlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Scoville” (#75,392), “Sapna” (#75,384), “sapien” (#75,383). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

schmaltz is uncommon English at frequency #75,390 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ʃmɒlts/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

schmaltz doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Yiddish שמאַלץ (shmalts) or German Schmalz. Doublet of smalt, smalto, and enamel. The correct English form is schmaltz, spelled S-C-H-M-A-L-T-Z.

Definition

  1. 1
    Rendered chicken or goose fat.
  2. 2
    Excessively sentimental art or music.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Even now, as medical science has given a nod to the moderate consumption of saturated animal fats, and the culinary elite has fallen hard for the likes of lard, tallow and duck fat, poor schmaltz remains the babushka-clad cousin not invited to the table. This is a shame, because schmaltz is one the most versatile and flavorful fats you can use.
  2. Are you moved because the disco soundscape of “Moon Crystal” reminds you of TV shows from long ago, or because those high, whining violins over funk guitar are eternally gorgeous? […] Schmaltz is schmaltz, and it can make life worth living.

Etymology

Borrowed from Yiddish שמאַלץ (shmalts) or German Schmalz. Doublet of smalt, smalto, and enamel.

This word in other languages

Schmalz(Deutsch)

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 "schmaltz"?
"schmaltz" is spelled S-C-H-M-A-L-T-Z. The IPA pronunciation is /ʃmɒlts/.
What does "schmaltz" mean?
As a noun, "schmaltz" means: Rendered chicken or goose fat.
How do you pronounce "schmaltz"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schmaltz" is /ʃmɒlts/. 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 "schmaltz"?
Borrowed from Yiddish שמאַלץ (shmalts) or German Schmalz. Doublet of smalt, smalto, and enamel. 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 "schmaltz", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Scoville#75,392sidenote#75,410retching#75,359snubbing#75,427

What to do next

You've looked up "schmaltz". Here's where to go from here.

  • Usage frequency rank #75,390 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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