Which to use
“auflegen” and “aufregen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,511
- “auflegen” frequency rank
- #8,512
- “aufregen” frequency rank
- 26023
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | auflegen | aufregen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas auf etwas liegend positionieren | jemanden erregen, unruhig machen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set auflegen and aufregen apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. auflegen ([ˈaʊ̯fˌleːɡn̩]) and aufregen ([ˈaʊ̯fˌʁeːɡn̩]) 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 - l in “auflegen” becomes r in “aufregen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26023, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
auflegen is recorded at frequency rank #17,511, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fˌleːɡn̩]. aufregen is at rank #8,512, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fˌʁeːɡn̩].
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 26023, this pair ranks #1,824,395 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of auflegen vs aufregen
Shared letters: aefgnu. Private to "auflegen": l. Private to "aufregen": r.
"auflegen" · 8 letters · shape VVCCVCVC · "aufregen" · 8 letters · shape VVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "auflegen" and "aufregen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "auflegen" or "aufregen"?
Remembering auflegen vs aufregen
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 “auflegen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable