Which to use
“Abfälle” and “Ausfälle” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,475
- “Abfälle” frequency rank
- #15,303
- “Ausfälle” frequency rank
- 34778
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Abfälle | Ausfälle |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Abfall | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Ausfall |
Where the eye mixes Abfälle and Ausfälle
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Abfälle runs 7 letters (VCCVCCV) against Ausfälle's 8 (VVCCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Abfälle vs Ausfälle
A purely visual mix-up. Abfälle ([ˈapˌfɛlə]) and Ausfälle ([ˈaʊ̯sfɛlə]) 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 34778, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Abfälle is recorded at frequency rank #19,475, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌfɛlə]. Ausfälle is at rank #15,303, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sfɛlə].
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 34778, this pair ranks #1,655,505 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Abfälle vs Ausfälle
Shared letters: aeflä. Private to "Abfälle": b. Private to "Ausfälle": su.
"Abfälle" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV · "Ausfälle" · 8 letters · shape VVCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Abfälle" and "Ausfälle" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "Abfälle" or "Ausfälle" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Abfälle" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Ausfälle" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,655,505 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Abfälle" and "Ausfälle" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Abfälle vs abfällig". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,655,505 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.