Which to use
“saufen” and “saugen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,622
- “saufen” frequency rank
- #12,785
- “saugen” frequency rank
- 22407
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | saufen | saugen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | trinken | etwas heran oder in sich hinein befördern, indem Unterdruck geschaffen wird |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set saufen and saugen 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. saufen ([ˈzaʊ̯fn̩]) and saugen ([ˈzaʊ̯ɡn̩]) 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 a single letter - f in “saufen” becomes g in “saugen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22407, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
saufen is recorded at frequency rank #9,622, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈzaʊ̯fn̩]. saugen is at rank #12,785, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈzaʊ̯ɡn̩].
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 22407, this pair ranks #1,874,540 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of saufen vs saugen
Shared letters: aensu. Private to "saufen": f. Private to "saugen": g.
"saufen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "saugen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "saufen" and "saugen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "saufen" or "saugen"?
Remembering saufen vs saugen
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 “saufen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable