AbfolgevsAbfrageWhat's the difference?

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 spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Abfolge and Abfrage apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Abfolge
7 ch
Abfrage

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

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

  • Abfolgeabbfolge · abffolge · abfloge · abfogle · abfoleg · abfolgge · abfollge · aboflge
  • Abfrageabbfrage · abfarge · abffrage · abfraeg · abfragge · abfrgae · abfrrage · abrfage

Frequency comparison

Abfolge#21,149
Abfrage#32,893

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Abfolge" and "Abfrage" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌfɔlɡə] versus [ˈapˌfʁaːɡə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Abfolge" or "Abfrage"?
"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.

Remembering Abfolge vs Abfrage

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 “Abfolge” 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