Which to use
“ansprechen” and “ausbrechen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,891
- “ansprechen” frequency rank
- #19,496
- “ausbrechen” frequency rank
- 26387
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ansprechen | ausbrechen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | anfangen mit jemandem zu sprechen; mit jemandem ein Gespräch beginnen | sich aus Mauern, Gittern, Gefängnis, Konventionen oder Ähnlichem befreien |
Where the eye mixes ansprechen and ausbrechen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. ansprechen (VCCCCVCCVC) and ausbrechen (VVCCCVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses ansprechen with ausbrechen
A purely visual mix-up. ansprechen ([ˈanˌʃpʁɛçn̩]) and ausbrechen ([ˈaʊ̯sˌbʁɛçn̩]) 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 26387, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ansprechen is recorded at frequency rank #6,891, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌʃpʁɛçn̩]. ausbrechen is at rank #19,496, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌbʁɛçn̩].
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 26387, this pair ranks #1,818,946 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ansprechen vs ausbrechen
Shared letters: acehnrs. Private to "ansprechen": p. Private to "ausbrechen": bu.
"ansprechen" · 10 letters · shape VCCCCVCCVC · "ausbrechen" · 10 letters · shape VVCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- ansprechen ← annsprechen · anpsrechen · ansperchen · anspprechen · ansprcehen · ansprecchen · ansprecehn · ansprechenn
- ausbrechen ← asubrechen · aubsrechen · ausbbrechen · ausberchen · ausbrcehen · ausbrecchen · ausbrecehn · ausbrechenn
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "ansprechen" for "ausbrechen" ever safe?
Which is more common, "ansprechen" or "ausbrechen"?
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 "ansprechen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ausbrechen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,818,946 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ansprechen" and "ausbrechen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ausbrechen vs auszubrechen". 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 #1,818,946 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.