Which to use
“anfangs” is an adverb and “anfing” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,577
- “anfangs” frequency rank
- #14,003
- “anfing” frequency rank
- 16580
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | anfangs | anfing |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | am Anfang | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs anfangen |
Where the eye mixes anfangs and anfing
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses anfangs with anfing
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: anfangs is [ˈanfaŋs] while anfing is [ˈanˌfɪŋ]. 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 (adverb vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16580, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
anfangs is recorded at frequency rank #2,577, classified as anadv, pronounced [ˈanfaŋs]. anfing is at rank #14,003, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌfɪŋ].
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 16580, this pair ranks #1,934,668 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of anfangs vs anfing
Shared letters: afgn. Private to "anfangs": s. Private to "anfing": i.
"anfangs" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC · "anfing" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "anfangs" for "anfing" ever safe?
Which is more common, "anfangs" or "anfing"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "anfangs" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "anfing" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,934,668 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "anfangs" and "anfing" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "abging vs anfing". 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 #1,934,668 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.