Which to use
“Anlauf” and “Auflauf” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,807
- “Anlauf” frequency rank
- #35,634
- “Auflauf” frequency rank
- 47441
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Anlauf | Auflauf |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | das Laufen vor einem Sprung oder Stoß, um Schwung zu holen | spontane Ansammlung von Menschen |
Where the eye mixes Anlauf and Auflauf
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Anlauf runs 6 letters (VCCVVC) against Auflauf's 7 (VVCCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Anlauf vs Auflauf
A purely visual mix-up. Anlauf ([ˈanˌlaʊ̯f]) and Auflauf ([ˈaʊ̯fˌlaʊ̯f]) 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 47441, 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]. Auflauf is at rank #35,634, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fˌlaʊ̯f].
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 47441, this pair ranks #1,284,079 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Anlauf vs Auflauf
Shared letters: aflu. Private to "Anlauf": n. Private to "Auflauf": -.
"Anlauf" · 6 letters · shape VCCVVC · "Auflauf" · 7 letters · shape VVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Anlauf" and "Auflauf" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "Anlauf" or "Auflauf"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "Anlauf" and "Auflauf" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Anlauf" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Auflauf" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,284,079 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Anlauf" and "Auflauf" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Auflauf vs Auslauf". 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 #1,284,079 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.