abfälligvsanfälligWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#46,440
“abfällig” frequency rank
#16,901
“anfällig” frequency rank
63341
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature abfällig anfällig
Definition eine ablehnende Haltung zeigend, nur wenig wertschätzend, mit Verachtung so, dass eine Person oder eine Sache leicht durch etwas beeinflusst oder auch verlockt werden kann

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set abfällig and anfällig apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
abfällig
8 ch
anfällig

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. abfällig ([ˈapˌfɛlɪç]) and anfällig ([ˈanfɛlɪç]) 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 a single letter - b in “abfällig” becomes n in “anfällig”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63341, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

abfällig is recorded at frequency rank #46,440, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈapˌfɛlɪç]. anfällig is at rank #16,901, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈanfɛlɪç].

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 63341, this pair ranks #680,150 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of abfällig vs anfällig

Shared letters: afgilä. Private to "abfällig": b. Private to "anfällig": n.

"abfällig" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "anfällig" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC

Frequency comparison

abfällig#46,440
anfällig#16,901

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "abfällig" and "anfällig" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌfɛlɪç] versus [ˈanfɛlɪç]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "abfällig" or "anfällig"?
"anfällig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,901 in our German list, against #46,440 for "abfällig". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering abfällig vs anfällig

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 “abfällig” 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