aufführenvsaufzuführenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“aufführen” and “aufzuführen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#19,133
“aufführen” frequency rank
#34,524
“aufzuführen” frequency rank
53657
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature aufführen aufzuführen
Definition sich (schlecht) verhalten erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs aufführen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set aufführen and aufzuführen apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
aufführen
11 ch
aufzuführen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. aufführen ([ˈaʊ̯fˌfyːʁən]) and aufzuführen ([ˈaʊ̯ft͡suˌfyːʁən]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53657, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

aufführen is recorded at frequency rank #19,133, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fˌfyːʁən]. aufzuführen is at rank #34,524, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯ft͡suˌfyːʁən].

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 53657, this pair ranks #1,049,483 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of aufführen vs aufzuführen

Shared letters: aefhnruü. Private to "aufführen": -. Private to "aufzuführen": z.

"aufführen" · 9 letters · shape VVCCVCCVC  ·  "aufzuführen" · 11 letters · shape VVCCVCVCCVC

Frequency comparison

aufführen#19,133
aufzuführen#34,524

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "aufführen" and "aufzuführen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈaʊ̯fˌfyːʁən] versus [ˈaʊ̯ft͡suˌfyːʁən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "aufführen" or "aufzuführen"?
"aufführen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,133 in our German list, against #34,524 for "aufzuführen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering aufführen vs aufzuführen

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 “aufführen” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list