Which to use
“abhängt” and “anfängt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,297
- “abhängt” frequency rank
- #7,858
- “anfängt” frequency rank
- 21155
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | abhängt | anfängt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs abhängen | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs anfangen |
Where the eye mixes abhängt and anfängt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. abhängt and anfängt follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCCVCCC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses abhängt with anfängt
A purely visual mix-up. abhängt ([ˈapˌhɛŋt]) and anfängt ([ˈanˌfɛŋt]) 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 21155, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
abhängt is recorded at frequency rank #13,297, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌhɛŋt]. anfängt is at rank #7,858, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌfɛŋt].
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 21155, this pair ranks #1,889,540 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of abhängt vs anfängt
Shared letters: agntä. Private to "abhängt": bh. Private to "anfängt": f.
"abhängt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC · "anfängt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "abhängt" for "anfängt" ever safe?
Frequency check: "abhängt" vs "anfängt" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "abhängt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "anfängt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,889,540 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "abhängt" and "anfängt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "anfängt vs anfasst". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,889,540 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.