AbflussvsAusflussTell them apart

Which to use

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

#18,783
“Abfluss” frequency rank
#49,490
“Ausfluss” frequency rank
68273
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Abfluss Ausfluss
Definition dasjenige, was abfließt das Ausfließen, das Ausströmen

Where the eye mixes Abfluss and Ausfluss

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Abfluss runs 7 letters (VCCCVCC) against Ausfluss's 8 (VVCCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

7 ch
Abfluss
8 ch
Ausfluss

Look-alike desk: Abfluss vs Ausfluss

A purely visual mix-up. Abfluss ([ˈapˌflʊs]) and Ausfluss ([ˈaʊ̯sˌflʊs]) 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 68273, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Abfluss is recorded at frequency rank #18,783, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌflʊs]. Ausfluss is at rank #49,490, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌflʊs].

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 68273, this pair ranks #513,100 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Abfluss vs Ausfluss

Shared letters: aflsu. Private to "Abfluss": b. Private to "Ausfluss": -.

"Abfluss" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCC  ·  "Ausfluss" · 8 letters · shape VVCCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Abfluss ← abbfluss · abffluss · abflluss · abflsus · abflus · abfluß · abfulss · ablfuss
  • Ausfluss ← asufluss · aufsluss · ausffluss · ausflluss · ausflsus · ausflus · ausfluß · ausfulss

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Abfluss" for "Ausfluss" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌflʊs] versus [ˈaʊ̯sˌflʊs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Abfluss" or "Ausfluss"?
"Abfluss" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,783 in our German list, against #49,490 for "Ausfluss". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Abfluss" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Ausfluss" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #513,100 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Abfluss" and "Ausfluss" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Ausflüge vs Ausfluss". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #513,100 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list