AuslaufvsAusläuferWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#35,076
“Auslauf” frequency rank
#27,638
“Ausläufer” frequency rank
62714
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Auslauf Ausläufer
Definition Bewegungsfreiheit für jemanden oder etwas endender, auslaufender Teil, zum Beispiel eines Gebirges oder Hochdruckgebiets

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Auslauf and Ausläufer apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Auslauf
9 ch
Ausläufer

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Auslauf ([aʊ̯slaʊ̯f]) and Ausläufer ([ˈaʊ̯sˌlɔɪ̯fɐ]) 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 62714, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Auslauf is recorded at frequency rank #35,076, classified as anoun, pronounced [aʊ̯slaʊ̯f]. Ausläufer is at rank #27,638, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌlɔɪ̯fɐ].

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 62714, this pair ranks #702,810 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Auslauf vs Ausläufer

Shared letters: aflsu. Private to "Auslauf": -. Private to "Ausläufer": erä.

"Auslauf" · 7 letters · shape VVCCVVC  ·  "Ausläufer" · 9 letters · shape VVCCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Auslaufasulauf · aulsauf · ausaluf · auslafu · auslauff · ausllauf · ausluaf · ausslauf

Frequency comparison

Auslauf#35,076
Ausläufer#27,638

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Auslauf" and "Ausläufer" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([aʊ̯slaʊ̯f] versus [ˈaʊ̯sˌlɔɪ̯fɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Auslauf" or "Ausläufer"?
"Ausläufer" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #27,638 in our German list, against #35,076 for "Auslauf". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Auslauf vs Ausläufer

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 “Auslauf” 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