Which to use
“aufwärts” and “auswärts” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,599
- “aufwärts” frequency rank
- #11,177
- “auswärts” frequency rank
- 22776
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | aufwärts | auswärts |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nach oben | nach außen, nach draußen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set aufwärts and auswärts 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. aufwärts ([ˈaʊ̯fvɛʁt͡s]) and auswärts ([ˈaʊ̯sˌvɛʁt͡s]) 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 “aufwärts” becomes s in “auswärts”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22776, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
aufwärts is recorded at frequency rank #11,599, classified as anadv, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fvɛʁt͡s]. auswärts is at rank #11,177, tagged as anadv, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌvɛʁt͡s].
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 22776, this pair ranks #1,869,901 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of aufwärts vs auswärts
Shared letters: arstuwä. Private to "aufwärts": f. Private to "auswärts": -.
"aufwärts" · 8 letters · shape VVCCVCCC · "auswärts" · 8 letters · shape VVCCVCCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "aufwärts" and "auswärts" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "aufwärts" or "auswärts"?
Remembering aufwärts vs auswärts
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 “aufwärts” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable