Which to use
“Anlauf” and “Anläufe” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,807
- “Anlauf” frequency rank
- #48,704
- “Anläufe” frequency rank
- 60511
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Anlauf | Anläufe |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | das Laufen vor einem Sprung oder Stoß, um Schwung zu holen | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Anlauf |
Where the eye mixes Anlauf and Anläufe
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Anlauf runs 6 letters (VCCVVC) against Anläufe's 7 (VCCVVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Anlauf with Anläufe
A purely visual mix-up. Anlauf ([ˈanˌlaʊ̯f]) and Anläufe ([ˈanlɔɪ̯fə]) 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 60511, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Anlauf is recorded at frequency rank #11,807, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈanˌlaʊ̯f]. Anläufe is at rank #48,704, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈanlɔɪ̯fə].
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 60511, this pair ranks #784,283 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Anlauf vs Anläufe
Shared letters: aflnu. Private to "Anlauf": -. Private to "Anläufe": eä.
"Anlauf" · 6 letters · shape VCCVVC · "Anläufe" · 7 letters · shape VCCVVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- Anlauf ← alnauf · analuf · anlafu · anlauff · anllauf · anluaf · annlauf · nalauf
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Anlauf" and "Anläufe" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "Anlauf" vs "Anläufe" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Anlauf" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Anläufe" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #784,283 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Anlauf" and "Anläufe" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Anlässe 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 #784,283 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.