AbrufvsAbwurfWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#25,869
“Abruf” frequency rank
#45,740
“Abwurf” frequency rank
71609
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Abruf Abwurf
Definition Aufforderung zum Verlassen einer Position, eines Amtes eine Handlung, etwas von oben herab fallen zu lassen (oft in Zusammenhang mit Flugzeugen benutzt)

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Abruf
6 ch
Abwurf

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Abruf ([ˈapˌʁuːf]) and Abwurf ([ˈapvʊʁf]) 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 71609, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Abruf is recorded at frequency rank #25,869, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌʁuːf]. Abwurf is at rank #45,740, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈapvʊʁf].

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 71609, this pair ranks #411,928 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Abruf vs Abwurf

Shared letters: abfru. Private to "Abruf": -. Private to "Abwurf": w.

"Abruf" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC  ·  "Abwurf" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Abrufabbruf · abrfu · abrruf · abruff · aburf · arbuf · baruf
  • Abwurfabbwurf · abuwrf · abwruf · abwufr · abwurff · abwurrf · abwwurf · awburf

Frequency comparison

Abruf#25,869
Abwurf#45,740

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Abruf" and "Abwurf" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌʁuːf] versus [ˈapvʊʁf]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Abruf" or "Abwurf"?
"Abruf" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #25,869 in our German list, against #45,740 for "Abwurf". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Abruf vs Abwurf

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 “Abruf” 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