Which to use
“Vorlauf” is a noun and “vorläufig” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #22,957
- “Vorlauf” frequency rank
- #8,965
- “vorläufig” frequency rank
- 31922
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Vorlauf | vorläufig |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | die normale Laufrichtung | nicht endgültig, bis zu einer späteren Festlegung gültig |
Where the eye mixes Vorlauf and vorläufig
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Vorlauf runs 7 letters (CVCCVVC) against vorläufig's 9 (CVCCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Vorlauf with vorläufig
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Vorlauf is [ˈfoːɐ̯laʊ̯f] while vorläufig is [ˈfoːɐ̯lɔɪ̯fɪç]. 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 adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31922, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Vorlauf is recorded at frequency rank #22,957, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯laʊ̯f]. vorläufig is at rank #8,965, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯lɔɪ̯fɪç].
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 31922, this pair ranks #1,718,329 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Vorlauf vs vorläufig
Shared letters: floruv. Private to "Vorlauf": a. Private to "vorläufig": giä.
"Vorlauf" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC · "vorläufig" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Vorlauf ← ovrlauf · volrauf · voraluf · vorlafu · vorlauff · vorllauf · vorluaf · vorrlauf
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Vorlauf" and "vorläufig" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "Vorlauf" or "vorläufig" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Vorlauf" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "vorläufig" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,718,329 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Vorlauf" and "vorläufig" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "vollauf vs Vorlauf". 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 #1,718,329 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.