schwer

\ʃveːɐ̯\

/\ʃveːɐ̯\/ adj

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

The verdict

“schwer” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Lourd, pesant.

Key facts for schwer
PropertyValue
Headwordschwer
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\ʃveːɐ̯\
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “schwer” sits in French frequency

schwer falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for schwer is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ʃveːɐ̯\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for schwer in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct French form is schwer, spelled S-C-H-W-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lourd, pesant.
  2. 2
    Difficile, pénible.
  3. 3
    Grave, violent (qualifie des choses négatives comme maladies, crises, désastres etc.)
  4. 4
    Capiteux, lourd (caractérise un vin).
  5. 5
    Consistant, copieux, rustique.
  6. 6
    Cruel, dur en parlant d'un destin.
  7. 7
    Sévère en parlant d'une peine, d'un jugement, d'un verdict.
  8. 8
    indique le poids, précédé par le poids exprimé en chiffres.
  9. 9
    Lourd, qui a un effet important.
  10. 10
    Lourd et puissant.
  11. 11
    Lourd, à haute densité et à bonne qualité.
  12. 12
    Lourdaud.
  13. 13
    Triste, désolé.
  14. 14
    Plein de difficultés.
  15. 15
    Sérieux, dangereux.
  16. 16
    Grave, considérable.

Synonyms

diffizilhartkompliziertmassereichmühseligschlimmschwerwiegendschwierig

Antonyms

bequemeinfachgemütlichleichttrivial

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 "schwer"?
"schwer" is spelled S-C-H-W-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \ʃveːɐ̯\.
What does "schwer" mean?
As an adjective, "schwer" means: Lourd, pesant.
How do you pronounce "schwer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "schwer" is \ʃveːɐ̯\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "schwer" come from?
"schwer" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “schwer”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is S-C-H-W-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ʃveːɐ̯\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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