auf

[aʊ̯f]

/[aʊ̯f]/ prep

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“auf” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #15 in German word frequency and used as a preposition.

#15
frequency rank, German
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - an der Oberseite von etwas

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

auf vs AZ
0% similar
auf vs AV
0% similar
auf vs AW
0% similar

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

Key facts for auf
PropertyValue
Headwordauf
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPreposition
IPA[aʊ̯f]
Letters3
Frequency rank#15
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “auf” 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). auf 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 auf is 3 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [aʊ̯f]. Corpus data places it at rank #15 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for auf in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "AZ", "AV", "AW", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is auf, spelled A-U-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    an der Oberseite von etwas
  2. 2
    an die Oberseite von etwas
  3. 3
    mit der bezeichneten Seite nach unten
  4. 4
    mit der bezeichneten Seite nach unten
  5. 5
    an der Oberfläche von etwas
  6. 6
    an die Oberfläche von etwas
  7. 7
    bei einer Unternehmung oder Veranstaltung
  8. 8
    zu einer Unternehmung oder Veranstaltung
  9. 9
    an einer Örtlichkeit, die einem zu Füßen liegt
  10. 10
    zu einer Örtlichkeit, die einem zu Füßen liegt
  11. 11
    in einer bestimmten Sprache
  12. 12
    bevorstehende festgelegte Zeitdauer

Synonyms

beizufür

This word in other languages

on(English)arriba(Español)sur(Français)em(Português)

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 "auf"?
"auf" is spelled A-U-F. The IPA pronunciation is [aʊ̯f].
What does "auf" mean?
As a preposition, "auf" means: an der Oberseite von etwas
What words are commonly confused with "auf"?
"auf" is commonly confused with "AZ", "AV", "AW". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "auf"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "auf" is [aʊ̯f]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "auf" come from?
"auf" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “auf”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is A-U-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [aʊ̯f] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “AZ” - see the side-by-side comparison. auf vs AZ
  • 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