Which to use
“ablaufen” and “abläuft” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,298
- “ablaufen” frequency rank
- #14,226
- “abläuft” frequency rank
- 27524
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ablaufen | abläuft |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zu laufen beginnen | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs ablaufen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ablaufen and abläuft apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. ablaufen ([ˈapˌlaʊ̯fn̩]) and abläuft ([ˈapˌlɔɪ̯ft]) 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 27524, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ablaufen is recorded at frequency rank #13,298, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌlaʊ̯fn̩]. abläuft is at rank #14,226, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌlɔɪ̯ft].
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 27524, this pair ranks #1,800,367 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ablaufen vs abläuft
Shared letters: abflu. Private to "ablaufen": en. Private to "abläuft": tä.
"ablaufen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVVCVC · "abläuft" · 7 letters · shape VCCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- ablaufen ← abalufen · abblaufen · ablafuen · ablauefn · ablaufenn · ablauffen · ablaufne · abllaufen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ablaufen" and "abläuft" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ablaufen" or "abläuft"?
Remembering ablaufen vs abläuft
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 “ablaufen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable