Which to use
“auffahren” and “ausfahren” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #37,969
- “auffahren” frequency rank
- #40,393
- “ausfahren” frequency rank
- 78362
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | auffahren | ausfahren |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | beim Fahren gegen die Rückseite des vorausfahrenden Fahrzeugs oder gegen ein Hindernis prallen; auf Grund laufen | (jemanden) mit einem Fahrzeug, Kinderwagen, Rollstuhl oder Ähnlichem auf einen Ausflug, eine Ausfahrt mitnehmen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set auffahren and ausfahren apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. auffahren ([ˈaʊ̯fˌfaːʁən]) and ausfahren ([ˈaʊ̯sˌfaːʁən]) 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 a single letter - f in “auffahren” becomes s in “ausfahren”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 78362, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
auffahren is recorded at frequency rank #37,969, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fˌfaːʁən]. ausfahren is at rank #40,393, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌfaːʁən].
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 78362, this pair ranks #239,998 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of auffahren vs ausfahren
Shared letters: aefhnru. Private to "auffahren": -. Private to "ausfahren": s.
"auffahren" · 9 letters · shape VVCCVCCVC · "ausfahren" · 9 letters · shape VVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "auffahren" and "ausfahren" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "auffahren" or "ausfahren"?
Remembering auffahren vs ausfahren
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 “auffahren” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable