Anruf

[ˈanˌʁuːf]

/[ˈanˌʁuːf]/ noun

The verdict

“Anruf” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #4,180 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,180
frequency rank, German
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - das Kontaktieren (beziehungsweise auch der Versuch dessen) per Telefon

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Anruf vs auf
40% similar
Anruf vs Anus
60% similar
Anruf vs Anzug
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Anruf
PropertyValue
HeadwordAnruf
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈanˌʁuːf]
Letters5
Frequency rank#4,180
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Anruf” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Anruf lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for Anruf is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈanˌʁuːf]. Corpus data places it at rank #4,180 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Anruf, with forms such as "annruf", "anrfu", and "anrruf". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "auf", "Anus", "Anzug", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is Anruf, spelled A-N-R-U-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    das Kontaktieren (beziehungsweise auch der Versuch dessen) per Telefon
  2. 2
    laute Äußerung, mit der man sich an jemanden wendet

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: annruf,anrfu,anrruf,anruff,anurf,arnuf,naruf

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Anruf - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

annruf1anrfu2anrruf1anruff1anurf2arnuf2naruf2
Edit distance from "Anruf"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Anruf"?
"Anruf" is spelled A-N-R-U-F. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈanˌʁuːf].
What does "Anruf" mean?
As a noun, "Anruf" means: das Kontaktieren (beziehungsweise auch der Versuch dessen) per Telefon
What words are commonly confused with "Anruf"?
"Anruf" is commonly confused with "auf", "Anus", "Anzug". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Anruf"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Anruf" is [ˈanˌʁuːf]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Anruf" come from?
"Anruf" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Using “Anruf”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is A-N-R-U-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈanˌʁuːf] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “auf” - see the side-by-side comparison. Anruf vs auf
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list