Which to use
“anschalten” and “ausschalten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #42,336
- “anschalten” frequency rank
- #10,814
- “ausschalten” frequency rank
- 53150
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | anschalten | ausschalten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | durch einen Schalter aktivieren; mit einem Schalter anmachen | die Funktion eines Gerätes beenden, indem man die Stromzufuhr unterbricht |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set anschalten and ausschalten apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. anschalten ([ˈanˌʃaltn̩]) and ausschalten ([ˈaʊ̯sˌʃaltn̩]) 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 53150, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
anschalten is recorded at frequency rank #42,336, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌʃaltn̩]. ausschalten is at rank #10,814, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌʃaltn̩].
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 53150, this pair ranks #1,069,257 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of anschalten vs ausschalten
Shared letters: acehlnst. Private to "anschalten": -. Private to "ausschalten": u.
"anschalten" · 10 letters · shape VCCCCVCCVC · "ausschalten" · 11 letters · shape VVCCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- anschalten ← ancshalten · annschalten · anscahlten · anscchalten · anschaletn · anschallten · anschaltenn · anschaltne
- ausschalten ← asuschalten · auschalten · auscshalten · ausscahlten · ausscchalten · ausschaletn · ausschallten · ausschaltenn
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "anschalten" and "ausschalten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "anschalten" or "ausschalten"?
Remembering anschalten vs ausschalten
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “anschalten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable