Which to use
“abfällig” and “auffällig” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #46,440
- “abfällig” frequency rank
- #6,151
- “auffällig” frequency rank
- 52591
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | abfällig | auffällig |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | eine ablehnende Haltung zeigend, nur wenig wertschätzend, mit Verachtung | die Aufmerksamkeit auf sich ziehend; Interesse erweckend |
Where the eye mixes abfällig and auffällig
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. abfällig runs 8 letters (VCCVCCVC) against auffällig's 9 (VVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses abfällig with auffällig
A purely visual mix-up. abfällig ([ˈapˌfɛlɪç]) and auffällig ([ˈaʊ̯fˌfɛlɪç]) 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 52591, 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]. auffällig is at rank #6,151, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fˌfɛlɪç].
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 52591, this pair ranks #1,090,830 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of abfällig vs auffällig
Shared letters: afgilä. Private to "abfällig": b. Private to "auffällig": u.
"abfällig" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "auffällig" · 9 letters · shape VVCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "abfällig" for "auffällig" ever safe?
Frequency check: "abfällig" vs "auffällig" - which ranks higher?
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 "abfällig" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "auffällig" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,090,830 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "abfällig" and "auffällig" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "abfallen vs abfällig". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,090,830 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.