AnfängevsAnfrageWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#10,996
“Anfänge” frequency rank
#3,018
“Anfrage” frequency rank
14014
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Anfänge Anfrage
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Anfang Frage an jemanden, mit der eine Antwort erwartet wird

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Anfänge and Anfrage apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Anfänge
7 ch
Anfrage

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Anfänge ([ˈanfɛŋə]) and Anfrage ([ˈanˌfʁaːɡə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14014, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Anfänge is recorded at frequency rank #10,996, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈanfɛŋə]. Anfrage is at rank #3,018, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈanˌfʁaːɡə].

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 14014, this pair ranks #1,954,167 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Anfänge vs Anfrage

Shared letters: aefgn. Private to "Anfänge": ä. Private to "Anfrage": r.

"Anfänge" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV  ·  "Anfrage" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Anfrageafnrage · anfarge · anffrage · anfraeg · anfragge · anfrgae · anfrrage · annfrage

Frequency comparison

Anfänge#10,996
Anfrage#3,018

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Anfänge" and "Anfrage" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈanfɛŋə] versus [ˈanˌfʁaːɡə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Anfänge" or "Anfrage"?
"Anfrage" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,018 in our German list, against #10,996 for "Anfänge". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Anfänge vs Anfrage

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 “Anfänge” 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