anrufen
[ˈanˌʁuːfn̩]
The verdict
“anrufen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #4,017 in German word frequency and used as a verb.
- #4,017
- frequency rank, German
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
- 13
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - auf sich aufmerksam machen, indem man ruft; jemanden namentlich rufen
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | anrufen |
| Language | German |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | [ˈanˌʁuːfn̩] |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #4,017 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 13 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “anrufen” sits in German frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The German entry for anrufen is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈanˌʁuːfn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #4,017 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for anrufen, with forms such as "annrufen", "anrfuen", and "anrrufen". 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 13 confusable-pair relationships, "anruft", "Anrufer", "Anzügen", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology 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 anrufen, spelled A-N-R-U-F-E-N.
Definition
- 1auf sich aufmerksam machen, indem man ruft; jemanden namentlich rufen
- 2jemanden bitten, sich als Helfer, Vermittler oder dergleichen entscheidend in etwas einzuschalten/auf etwas Einfluss zu nehmen
- 3mit jemandem telefonisch in Verbindung treten
- 4etwas durch (lautes) Rufen bekannt geben, mitteilen, verkünden
- 5etwas durch (lautes) Rufen zu übertönen versuchen
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: annrufen,anrfuen,anrrufen,anruefn,anrufenn,anruffen,anrufne,anurfen,arnufen,narufen
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of anrufen - 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.
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 "anrufen"?
What does "anrufen" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "anrufen"?
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Using “anrufen”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct German spelling is A-N-R-U-F-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [ˈanˌʁuːfn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “anruft” - see the side-by-side comparison. anrufen vs anruft
- 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.