Which to use
“laue” is an adjective and “Läufer” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #38,872
- “laue” frequency rank
- #7,641
- “Läufer” frequency rank
- 46513
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | laue | Läufer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs lau | Person, die an einem Wettlauf teilnimmt, die sich laufend vorwärtsbewegt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set laue and Läufer apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: laue is [ˈlaʊ̯ə] while Läufer is [ˈlɔɪ̯fɐ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46513, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
laue is recorded at frequency rank #38,872, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈlaʊ̯ə]. Läufer is at rank #7,641, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlɔɪ̯fɐ].
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 46513, this pair ranks #1,316,471 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of laue vs Läufer
Shared letters: elu. Private to "laue": a. Private to "Läufer": frä.
"laue" · 4 letters · shape CVVV · "Läufer" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- laue ← alue · laeu · llaue · luae
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "laue" and "Läufer" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "laue" or "Läufer"?
Remembering laue vs Läufer
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “laue”; for a noun, it's “Läufer”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “laue” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable