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 eye mixes Abläufe and Anlauf
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Abläufe runs 7 letters (VCCVVCV) against Anlauf's 6 (VCCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Abläufe with Anlauf
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
- Anlauf ← alnauf · analuf · anlafu · anlauff · anllauf · anluaf · annlauf · nalauf
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Abläufe" and "Anlauf" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary German text, does "Abläufe" or "Anlauf" show up more?
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 "Abläufe" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Anlauf" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,811,785 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Abläufe" and "Anlauf" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Abläufe vs Anläufe". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,811,785 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.