Which to use
“aufgefangen” and “ausgegangen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,243
- “aufgefangen” frequency rank
- #4,861
- “ausgegangen” frequency rank
- 29104
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | aufgefangen | ausgegangen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs auffangen | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs ausgehen |
Where the eye mixes aufgefangen and ausgegangen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. aufgefangen and ausgegangen follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VVCCVCVCCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses aufgefangen with ausgegangen
A purely visual mix-up. aufgefangen ([ˈaʊ̯fɡəˌfaŋən]) and ausgegangen ([ˈaʊ̯sɡəˌɡaŋən]) 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 29104, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
aufgefangen is recorded at frequency rank #24,243, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fɡəˌfaŋən]. ausgegangen is at rank #4,861, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sɡəˌɡaŋən].
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 29104, this pair ranks #1,772,964 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of aufgefangen vs ausgegangen
Shared letters: aegnu. Private to "aufgefangen": f. Private to "ausgegangen": s.
"aufgefangen" · 11 letters · shape VVCCVCVCCVC · "ausgegangen" · 11 letters · shape VVCCVCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- aufgefangen ← afugefangen · aufegfangen · auffgefangen · aufgeafngen · aufgefagnen · aufgefanegn · aufgefangenn · aufgefanggen
- ausgegangen ← asugegangen · augsegangen · auseggangen · ausgeagngen · ausgegagnen · ausgeganegn · ausgegangenn · ausgeganggen
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "aufgefangen" and "ausgegangen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "aufgefangen" or "ausgegangen"?
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 "aufgefangen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ausgegangen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,772,964 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "aufgefangen" and "ausgegangen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "aufgefangen vs aufzufangen". 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 #1,772,964 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.