AblaufvsAuflaufWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,015
“Ablauf” frequency rank
#35,634
“Auflauf” frequency rank
39649
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Ablauf Auflauf
Definition Prozess, Abfolge spontane Ansammlung von Menschen

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Ablauf
7 ch
Auflauf

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Ablauf ([ˈapˌlaʊ̯f]) and Auflauf ([ˈaʊ̯fˌlaʊ̯f]) 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 39649, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Ablauf is recorded at frequency rank #4,015, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌlaʊ̯f]. Auflauf is at rank #35,634, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fˌlaʊ̯f].

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 39649, this pair ranks #1,530,800 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Ablauf vs Auflauf

Shared letters: aflu. Private to "Ablauf": b. Private to "Auflauf": -.

"Ablauf" · 6 letters · shape VCCVVC  ·  "Auflauf" · 7 letters · shape VVCCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Ablaufabaluf · abblauf · ablafu · ablauff · abllauf · abluaf · albauf · balauf
  • Auflaufafulauf · aufaluf · aufflauf · auflafu · auflauff · aufllauf · aufluaf · aulfauf

Frequency comparison

Ablauf#4,015
Auflauf#35,634

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Ablauf" and "Auflauf" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌlaʊ̯f] versus [ˈaʊ̯fˌlaʊ̯f]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Ablauf" or "Auflauf"?
"Ablauf" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,015 in our German list, against #35,634 for "Auflauf". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Ablauf vs Auflauf

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 “Ablauf” 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