abfassen

[ˈapˌfasn̩]

/[ˈapˌfasn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“abfassen” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - einen Text schreiben

Corpus desk

Index DE-abfassen · abfassen · German

abfassen · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for abfassen
PropertyValue
Headwordabfassen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈapˌfasn̩]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „abfassen“ im Deutschen

abfassensitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

abfassen is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [ˈapˌfasn̩]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for abfassen in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No documented word history exists for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is abfassen, spelled A-B-F-A-S-S-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    einen Text schreiben
  2. 2
    jemanden auf frischer Tat ergreifen

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how abfassen appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. „In einer Ode, die Horaz zu dieser Zeit abfasste, wurde die Heimkehr des Augustus wie die Epiphanie eines Gottes geschildert.“
  2. Der Jugendliche wurde beim Autodiebstahl abgefasst.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "abfassen"?
"abfassen" is spelled A-B-F-A-S-S-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈapˌfasn̩].
What does "abfassen" mean?
As a verb, "abfassen" means: einen Text schreiben
How do you pronounce "abfassen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abfassen" is [ˈapˌfasn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "abfassen" come from?
"abfassen" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list