schmaltz
/ʃmɔlts/noun
schmaltz is spelled S-C-H-M-A-L-T-Z: 8 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 74,980th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, schmaltz means “Rendered chicken or goose fat” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in schmaltz?
| Letters | 8: S-C-H-M-A-L-T-Z |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 6 million words; the 74,980th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is schmaltz?
Schmaltz appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 74,980th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce schmaltz?
- UK /ʃmɒlts/
- UK /ʃmɔːlts/
- US /ʃmɔlts/
Schmaltz has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-schmaltz.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with schmaltz?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as schmaltz from its last stressed vowel (/ɔlts/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of schmaltz
- schmalz
- shmaltz
- shmalz
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does schmaltz mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Rendered chicken or goose fat.
- 2
derogatoryExcessively sentimental art or music.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Schmaltz in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense excessively sentimental art:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Schmalz |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does schmaltz come from?
Borrowed from Yiddish שמאַלץ (shmalts) or German Schmalz. Doublet of smalt, smalto, and enamel.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).