AbfahrtvsAbfuhrWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Abfahrt” and “Abfuhr” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#6,136
“Abfahrt” frequency rank
#33,415
“Abfuhr” frequency rank
39551
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Abfahrt Abfuhr
Definition Beginn einer Fahrt (meist zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt oder ab einem bestimmten, örtlich festgelegten Punkt) das Wegfahren, Abtransportieren von etwas

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Abfahrt and Abfuhr apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Abfahrt
6 ch
Abfuhr

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Abfahrt ([ˈapˌfaːɐ̯t]) and Abfuhr ([ˈapˌfuːɐ̯]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39551, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Abfahrt is recorded at frequency rank #6,136, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌfaːɐ̯t]. Abfuhr is at rank #33,415, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌfuːɐ̯].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 39551, this pair ranks #1,533,634 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Abfahrt vs Abfuhr

Shared letters: abfhr. Private to "Abfahrt": t. Private to "Abfuhr": u.

"Abfahrt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC  ·  "Abfuhr" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Abfahrtabafhrt · abbfahrt · abfahhrt · abfahrrt · abfahrtt · abfahtr · abfarht · abffahrt
  • Abfuhrabbfuhr · abffuhr · abfhur · abfuhhr · abfuhrr · abfurh · abufhr · afbuhr

Frequency comparison

Abfahrt#6,136
Abfuhr#33,415

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Abfahrt" and "Abfuhr" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌfaːɐ̯t] versus [ˈapˌfuːɐ̯]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Abfahrt" or "Abfuhr"?
"Abfahrt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,136 in our German list, against #33,415 for "Abfuhr". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Abfahrt vs Abfuhr

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Abfahrt” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list