Which to use
“Ausbau” and “Auslauf” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,170
- “Ausbau” frequency rank
- #35,076
- “Auslauf” frequency rank
- 38246
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Ausbau | Auslauf |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | planmäßige Vergrößerung, Erweiterung von etwas Bestehendem | Bewegungsfreiheit für jemanden oder etwas |
Where the eye mixes Ausbau and Auslauf
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Ausbau runs 6 letters (VVCCVV) against Auslauf's 7 (VVCCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Ausbau with Auslauf
A purely visual mix-up. Ausbau ([ˈaʊ̯sˌbaʊ̯]) and Auslauf ([aʊ̯slaʊ̯f]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38246, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Ausbau is recorded at frequency rank #3,170, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌbaʊ̯]. Auslauf is at rank #35,076, tagged as anoun, pronounced [aʊ̯slaʊ̯f].
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 38246, this pair ranks #1,568,965 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Ausbau vs Auslauf
Shared letters: asu. Private to "Ausbau": b. Private to "Auslauf": fl.
"Ausbau" · 6 letters · shape VVCCVV · "Auslauf" · 7 letters · shape VVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Ausbau" and "Auslauf" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "Ausbau" vs "Auslauf" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Ausbau" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Auslauf" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,568,965 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Ausbau" and "Auslauf" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Auslauf vs Ausruf". 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 #1,568,965 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.