Which to use
“Läufer” and “Laufwerk” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,641
- “Läufer” frequency rank
- #32,147
- “Laufwerk” frequency rank
- 39788
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Läufer | Laufwerk |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Person, die an einem Wettlauf teilnimmt, die sich laufend vorwärtsbewegt | Speichergerät eines Computers mit Lese-/Schreibzugriff |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Läufer and Laufwerk apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. Läufer ([ˈlɔɪ̯fɐ]) and Laufwerk ([ˈlaʊ̯fˌvɛʁk]) 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 39788, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Läufer is recorded at frequency rank #7,641, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlɔɪ̯fɐ]. Laufwerk is at rank #32,147, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlaʊ̯fˌvɛʁk].
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 39788, this pair ranks #1,526,888 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Läufer vs Laufwerk
Shared letters: eflru. Private to "Läufer": ä. Private to "Laufwerk": akw.
"Läufer" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "Laufwerk" · 8 letters · shape CVVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Laufwerk ← alufwerk · lafuwerk · laufewrk · lauffwerk · laufwekr · laufwerkk · laufwerrk · laufwrek
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Läufer" and "Laufwerk" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Läufer" or "Laufwerk"?
Remembering Läufer vs Laufwerk
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Läufer” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable