AuslaufvsAusrufTell them apart

Which to use

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

#35,076
“Auslauf” frequency rank
#39,815
“Ausruf” frequency rank
74891
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Auslauf Ausruf
Definition Bewegungsfreiheit für jemanden oder etwas meist unwillkürliche, kurze, emotionsbetonte Äußerung

Where the eye mixes Auslauf and Ausruf

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Auslauf runs 7 letters (VVCCVVC) against Ausruf's 6 (VVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

7 ch
Auslauf
6 ch
Ausruf

Why the eye confuses Auslauf with Ausruf

A purely visual mix-up. Auslauf ([aʊ̯slaʊ̯f]) and Ausruf ([ˈaʊ̯sˌʁuːf]) 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 74891, 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]. Ausruf is at rank #39,815, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌʁuːf].

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 74891, this pair ranks #321,748 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Auslauf vs Ausruf

Shared letters: afsu. Private to "Auslauf": l. Private to "Ausruf": r.

"Auslauf" · 7 letters · shape VVCCVVC  ·  "Ausruf" · 6 letters · shape VVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Auslauf ← asulauf · aulsauf · ausaluf · auslafu · auslauff · ausllauf · ausluaf · ausslauf
  • Ausruf ← asuruf · aursuf · ausrfu · ausrruf · ausruff · aussruf · ausurf · uasruf

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Auslauf" for "Ausruf" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([aʊ̯slaʊ̯f] versus [ˈaʊ̯sˌʁuːf]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Auslauf" or "Ausruf"?
"Auslauf" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #35,076 in our German list, against #39,815 for "Ausruf". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Auslauf" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Ausruf" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #321,748 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Auslauf" and "Ausruf" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Auslage vs Auslauf". 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 #321,748 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list