AbgangvsAusgangWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#9,668
“Abgang” frequency rank
#4,766
“Ausgang” frequency rank
14434
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Abgang Ausgang
Definition Weg, der nach unten führt; eine Treppe, eine Rampe, die abwärts führt eine aus einem abgeschlossenen Anwesen, Raum oder Gebäude hinausführende Gebäudeöffnung, Tür (oder dgl.), durch die dieser Raum oder das Gebäude, von innen betrachtet, verlassen werden kann. Meist ist der Ausgang die gleiche Gebäudeöffnung wie der Eingang, der Ort, der die Möglichkeit, einen relativ und in sich abgeschlossenen Raum zu verlassen, bietet

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Abgang
7 ch
Ausgang

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Abgang ([ˈapˌɡaŋ]) and Ausgang ([ˈaʊ̯sˌɡaŋ]) 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 14434, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Abgang is recorded at frequency rank #9,668, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌɡaŋ]. Ausgang is at rank #4,766, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌɡaŋ].

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 14434, this pair ranks #1,951,246 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Abgang vs Ausgang

Shared letters: agn. Private to "Abgang": b. Private to "Ausgang": su.

"Abgang" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC  ·  "Ausgang" · 7 letters · shape VVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Abgangabagng · abbgang · abgagn · abgangg · abganng · abggang · abgnag · agbang
  • Ausgangasugang · augsang · ausagng · ausgagn · ausgangg · ausganng · ausggang · ausgnag

Frequency comparison

Abgang#9,668
Ausgang#4,766

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Abgang" and "Ausgang" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌɡaŋ] versus [ˈaʊ̯sˌɡaŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Abgang" or "Ausgang"?
"Ausgang" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,766 in our German list, against #9,668 for "Abgang". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Abgang vs Ausgang

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 “Abgang” 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