Which to use
“Vorbau” and “Vorlauf” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #47,107
- “Vorbau” frequency rank
- #22,957
- “Vorlauf” frequency rank
- 70064
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Vorbau | Vorlauf |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Gebäudeteil, der aus dem eigentlichen Kerngebäude herausragt | die normale Laufrichtung |
Where the eye mixes Vorbau and Vorlauf
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Vorbau runs 6 letters (CVCCVV) against Vorlauf's 7 (CVCCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Vorbau and Vorlauf
A purely visual mix-up. Vorbau ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌbaʊ̯]) and Vorlauf ([ˈfoːɐ̯laʊ̯f]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 70064, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Vorbau is recorded at frequency rank #47,107, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌbaʊ̯]. Vorlauf is at rank #22,957, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯laʊ̯f].
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 70064, this pair ranks #457,575 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of Vorbau vs Vorlauf
Shared letters: aoruv. Private to "Vorbau": b. Private to "Vorlauf": fl.
"Vorbau" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVV · "Vorlauf" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Vorbau" for "Vorlauf" ever safe?
Frequency check: "Vorbau" vs "Vorlauf" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "Vorbau" and "Vorlauf" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Vorbau" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Vorlauf" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #457,575 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Vorbau" and "Vorlauf" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Vorbau vs vorsah". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #457,575 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.