AktionvsAuktionWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

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

#1,377
“Aktion” frequency rank
#12,862
“Auktion” frequency rank
14239
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Aktion Auktion
Definition Unternehmung, um etwas Bestimmtes zu erreichen Veranstaltung, bei der Gegenstände versteigert werden, das heißt an die meistbietende Person verkauft werden

Where the eye mixes Aktion and Auktion

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Aktion runs 6 letters (VCCVVC) against Auktion's 7 (VVCCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

6 ch
Aktion
7 ch
Auktion

Visual trap between Aktion and Auktion

A purely visual mix-up. Aktion ([akˈt͡si̯oːn]) and Auktion ([aʊ̯kˈt͡si̯oːn]) 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 14239, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Aktion is recorded at frequency rank #1,377, classified as anoun, pronounced [akˈt͡si̯oːn]. Auktion is at rank #12,862, tagged as anoun, pronounced [aʊ̯kˈt͡si̯oːn].

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 14239, this pair ranks #1,952,607 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Aktion vs Auktion

Shared letters: aiknot. Private to "Aktion": -. Private to "Auktion": u.

"Aktion" · 6 letters · shape VCCVVC  ·  "Auktion" · 7 letters · shape VVCCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Aktion ← akiton · akktion · aktino · aktionn · aktoin · akttion · atkion · kation
  • Auktion ← akution · aukiton · aukktion · auktino · auktionn · auktoin · aukttion · autkion

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Aktion" for "Auktion" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([akˈt͡si̯oːn] versus [aʊ̯kˈt͡si̯oːn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Aktion" vs "Auktion" - which ranks higher?
"Aktion" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,377 in our German list, against #12,862 for "Auktion". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Aktion" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Auktion" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,952,607 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Aktion" and "Auktion" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Auktion vs Auktionen". 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 #1,952,607 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list