AbfolgevsAbfrageConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#21,149
“Abfolge” frequency rank
#32,893
“Abfrage” frequency rank
54042
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Abfolge Abfrage
Definition geregelte, ordnungsgemäße Aufeinanderfolge Auswahl von Informationen aus einem elektronisch gespeicherten Datenbestand

Where the eye mixes Abfolge and Abfrage

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Abfolge (VCCVCCV) and Abfrage (VCCCVCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.

7 ch
Abfolge
7 ch
Abfrage

Look-alike desk: Abfolge vs Abfrage

A purely visual mix-up. Abfolge ([ˈapˌfɔlɡə]) and Abfrage ([ˈapˌfʁaːɡə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54042, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Abfolge is recorded at frequency rank #21,149, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌfɔlɡə]. Abfrage is at rank #32,893, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌfʁaːɡə].

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 54042, this pair ranks #1,034,354 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Abfolge vs Abfrage

Shared letters: abefg. Private to "Abfolge": lo. Private to "Abfrage": r.

"Abfolge" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV  ·  "Abfrage" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Abfolge ← abbfolge · abffolge · abfloge · abfogle · abfoleg · abfolgge · abfollge · aboflge
  • Abfrage ← abbfrage · abfarge · abffrage · abfraeg · abfragge · abfrgae · abfrrage · abrfage

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Abfolge" and "Abfrage" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌfɔlɡə] versus [ˈapˌfʁaːɡə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Abfolge" vs "Abfrage" - which ranks higher?
"Abfolge" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,149 in our German list, against #32,893 for "Abfrage". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

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

  • Full dictionary entry for "Abfolge" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Abfrage" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,034,354 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Abfolge" and "Abfrage" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Abfrage vs abtragen". 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 #1,034,354 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