Which to use
“Lauf” is a noun and “läufst” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,737
- “Lauf” frequency rank
- #25,224
- “läufst” frequency rank
- 26961
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Lauf | läufst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | schnelle Fortbewegung zu Fuß, bei der kurzzeitig kein Bodenkontakt besteht | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs laufen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Lauf and läufst 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: Lauf is [laʊ̯f] while läufst is [lɔɪ̯fst]. 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 (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26961, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Lauf is recorded at frequency rank #1,737, classified as anoun, pronounced [laʊ̯f]. läufst is at rank #25,224, tagged as averb, pronounced [lɔɪ̯fst].
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 26961, this pair ranks #1,809,530 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Lauf vs läufst
Shared letters: flu. Private to "Lauf": a. Private to "läufst": stä.
"Lauf" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "läufst" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Lauf ← aluf · lafu · lauff · llauf · luaf
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Lauf" and "läufst" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Lauf" or "läufst"?
Remembering Lauf vs läufst
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Lauf”; for a verb, it's “läufst”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Lauf” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable