Which to use
“Anlass” and “Anlauf” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,231
- “Anlass” frequency rank
- #11,807
- “Anlauf” frequency rank
- 14038
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Anlass | Anlauf |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein Grund, der den Zweck einer Handlung oder eines Verhaltens erklärt; beziehungsweise ein Beweggrund | das Laufen vor einem Sprung oder Stoß, um Schwung zu holen |
Where the eye mixes Anlass and Anlauf
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Anlass (VCCVCC) and Anlauf (VCCVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between Anlass and Anlauf
A purely visual mix-up. Anlass ([ˈanˌlas]) and Anlauf ([ˈanˌlaʊ̯f]) 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 14038, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Anlass is recorded at frequency rank #2,231, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈanˌlas]. Anlauf is at rank #11,807, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈanˌlaʊ̯f].
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 14038, this pair ranks #1,953,994 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Anlass vs Anlauf
Shared letters: aln. Private to "Anlass": s. Private to "Anlauf": fu.
"Anlass" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "Anlauf" · 6 letters · shape VCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Anlass" and "Anlauf" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "Anlass" vs "Anlauf" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Anlass" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Anlauf" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,953,994 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Anlass" and "Anlauf" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Anlauf vs Anläufe". 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 #1,953,994 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.