AbfallvsAnfälleWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#8,501
“Abfall” frequency rank
#29,919
“Anfälle” frequency rank
38420
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Abfall Anfälle
Definition der bei der Verwendung oder Verarbeitung übrig gebliebene Rest (auch im übertragenen Sinn) Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Anfall

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Abfall and Anfälle apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Abfall
7 ch
Anfälle

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Abfall ([ˈapˌfal]) and Anfälle ([ˈanˌfɛlə]) 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 38420, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Abfall is recorded at frequency rank #8,501, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌfal]. Anfälle is at rank #29,919, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈanˌfɛlə].

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 38420, this pair ranks #1,564,448 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Abfall vs Anfälle

Shared letters: afl. Private to "Abfall": b. Private to "Anfälle": enä.

"Abfall" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC  ·  "Anfälle" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Abfallabafll · abbfall · abfal · abffall · abflal · afball · bafall

Frequency comparison

Abfall#8,501
Anfälle#29,919

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Abfall" and "Anfälle" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌfal] versus [ˈanˌfɛlə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Abfall" or "Anfälle"?
"Abfall" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,501 in our German list, against #29,919 for "Anfälle". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Abfall vs Anfälle

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 “Abfall” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list