Which to use
“AfD” is a noun and “an” is a preposition - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #594
- “AfD” frequency rank
- #26
- “an” frequency rank
- 620
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | AfD | an |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Abkürzung von Alternative für Deutschland, eine 2013 gegründete Partei rechts von der Mitte | bestimmt ein Ziel, einen Zielpunkt, mit welchem etw. in Berührung kommt |
Where the eye mixes AfD and an
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between AfD and an
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: AfD is [aːʔɛfˈdeː] while an is [an]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs preposition), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 620, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
AfD is recorded at frequency rank #594, classified as anoun, pronounced [aːʔɛfˈdeː]. an is at rank #26, tagged as aprep, pronounced [an].
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 620, this pair ranks #2,005,603 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of AfD vs an
Shared letters: a. Private to "AfD": df. Private to "an": n.
"AfD" · 3 letters · shape VCC · "an" · 2 letters · shape VC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "AfD" for "an" ever safe?
Which is more common, "AfD" or "an"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "AfD" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "an" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,005,603 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "AfD" and "an" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "AfD vs AUD". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,005,603 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.