schmal

\ʃmaːl\

/\ʃmaːl\/ adj

The verdict

“schmal” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Étroit.

Corpus desk

Index FR-schmal · schmal · French

schmal · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for schmal
PropertyValue
Headwordschmal
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\ʃmaːl\
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « schmal » en français

schmaln'entre pas dans le top 100.000 du français: zone de termes techniques, archaïques ou rares.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

schmal is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed \ʃmaːl\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for schmal, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is schmal, spelled S-C-H-M-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Étroit.
  2. 2
    Maigre.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Wer zu (Jakob) Fried vordringen will, geht durch einen schmalen Gang – vorbei an rund 40 Rennrädern aus den 1980er-Jahren. Auch von der Decke baumeln die Drahtesel, darunter die eine oder andere heißbegehrte Rarität.
  2. Jonas sah ihr hinterher, (...), sah zu, wie seine Frau sich von ihm entfernte. Wie ihr langes, honigblondes Haar, ihre schmalen Jeans, ihr dunkelgrünes Oberteil langsam schwarz-weiß wurden, als die Dunkelheit sie umschloss.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "schmal"?
"schmal" is spelled S-C-H-M-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is \ʃmaːl\.
What does "schmal" mean?
As an adjective, "schmal" means: Étroit.
How do you pronounce "schmal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schmal" is \ʃmaːl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "schmal" come from?
"schmal" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list