Which to use
“auslöschen” and “auslösen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,450
- “auslöschen” frequency rank
- #7,868
- “auslösen” frequency rank
- 33318
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | auslöschen | auslösen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Licht oder Feuer zum Erlöschen bringen | etwas in Gang/in Bewegung setzen |
Where the eye mixes auslöschen and auslösen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. auslöschen runs 10 letters (VVCCVCCCVC) against auslösen's 8 (VVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: auslöschen vs auslösen
A purely visual mix-up. auslöschen ([ˈaʊ̯sˌlœʃn̩]) and auslösen ([ˈaʊ̯sˌløːzn̩]) 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 33318, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
auslöschen is recorded at frequency rank #25,450, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌlœʃn̩]. auslösen is at rank #7,868, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌløːzn̩].
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 33318, this pair ranks #1,688,558 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of auslöschen vs auslösen
Shared letters: aelnsuö. Private to "auslöschen": ch. Private to "auslösen": -.
"auslöschen" · 10 letters · shape VVCCVCCCVC · "auslösen" · 8 letters · shape VVCCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "auslöschen" for "auslösen" ever safe?
Frequency check: "auslöschen" vs "auslösen" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "auslöschen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "auslösen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,688,558 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "auslöschen" and "auslösen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "auslöschen vs auszulöschen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,688,558 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.