Which to use
“auslösen” and “auszulösen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,868
- “auslösen” frequency rank
- #24,249
- “auszulösen” frequency rank
- 32117
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | auslösen | auszulösen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas in Gang/in Bewegung setzen | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs auslösen |
Where the eye mixes auslösen and auszulösen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. auslösen runs 8 letters (VVCCVCVC) against auszulösen's 10 (VVCCVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between auslösen and auszulösen
A purely visual mix-up. auslösen ([ˈaʊ̯sˌløːzn̩]) and auszulösen ([ˈaʊ̯st͡suˌløːzn̩]) 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 32117, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
auslösen is recorded at frequency rank #7,868, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌløːzn̩]. auszulösen is at rank #24,249, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯st͡suˌløːzn̩].
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 32117, this pair ranks #1,714,355 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of auslösen vs auszulösen
Shared letters: aelnsuö. Private to "auslösen": -. Private to "auszulösen": z.
"auslösen" · 8 letters · shape VVCCVCVC · "auszulösen" · 10 letters · shape VVCCVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "auslösen" for "auszulösen" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "auslösen" or "auszulösen" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "auslösen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "auszulösen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,714,355 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "auslösen" and "auszulösen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "auszulöschen vs auszulösen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,714,355 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.