Which to use
“laufe” is a verb and “Läufer” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,851
- “laufe” frequency rank
- #7,641
- “Läufer” frequency rank
- 9492
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | laufe | Läufer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs laufen | Person, die an einem Wettlauf teilnimmt, die sich laufend vorwärtsbewegt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set laufe and Läufer apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: laufe is [ˈlaʊ̯fə] while Läufer is [ˈlɔɪ̯fɐ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9492, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
laufe is recorded at frequency rank #1,851, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlaʊ̯fə]. 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 9492, this pair ranks #1,979,692 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of laufe vs Läufer
Shared letters: eflu. Private to "laufe": a. Private to "Läufer": rä.
"laufe" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV · "Läufer" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- laufe ← alufe · lafue · lauef · lauffe · llaufe · luafe
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "laufe" and "Läufer" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "laufe" or "Läufer"?
Remembering laufe vs Läufer
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “laufe”; for a noun, it's “Läufer”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “laufe” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable