Which to use
“anfängt” and “anfing” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,858
- “anfängt” frequency rank
- #14,003
- “anfing” frequency rank
- 21861
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | anfängt | anfing |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs anfangen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs anfangen |
Where the eye mixes anfängt and anfing
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. anfängt runs 7 letters (VCCVCCC) against anfing's 6 (VCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: anfängt vs anfing
A purely visual mix-up. anfängt ([ˈanˌfɛŋt]) and anfing ([ˈanˌfɪŋ]) 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 21861, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
anfängt is recorded at frequency rank #7,858, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌfɛŋt]. 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 21861, this pair ranks #1,881,267 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of anfängt vs anfing
Shared letters: afgn. Private to "anfängt": tä. Private to "anfing": i.
"anfängt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC · "anfing" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- anfing ← afning · anffing · anfign · anfingg · anfinng · anfnig · anifng · annfing
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "anfängt" and "anfing" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "anfängt" vs "anfing" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "anfängt" 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 #1,881,267 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "anfängt" and "anfing" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "anfängt vs anfasst". 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 #1,881,267 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.