AbläufevsAnlaufWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#15,018
“Abläufe” frequency rank
#11,807
“Anlauf” frequency rank
26825
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Abläufe Anlauf
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Ablauf das Laufen vor einem Sprung oder Stoß, um Schwung zu holen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Abläufe and Anlauf apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Abläufe
6 ch
Anlauf

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Abläufe ([ˈapˌlɔɪ̯fə]) and Anlauf ([ˈanˌlaʊ̯f]) 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 26825, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Abläufe is recorded at frequency rank #15,018, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌlɔɪ̯fə]. Anlauf is at rank #11,807, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈanˌlaʊ̯f].

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 26825, this pair ranks #1,811,785 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Abläufe vs Anlauf

Shared letters: aflu. Private to "Abläufe": beä. Private to "Anlauf": n.

"Abläufe" · 7 letters · shape VCCVVCV  ·  "Anlauf" · 6 letters · shape VCCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Anlaufalnauf · analuf · anlafu · anlauff · anllauf · anluaf · annlauf · nalauf

Frequency comparison

Abläufe#15,018
Anlauf#11,807

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Abläufe" and "Anlauf" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌlɔɪ̯fə] versus [ˈanˌlaʊ̯f]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Abläufe" or "Anlauf"?
"Anlauf" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,807 in our German list, against #15,018 for "Abläufe". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Abläufe vs Anlauf

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 “Abläufe” 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