auffahren

[ˈaʊ̯fˌfaːʁən]

/[ˈaʊ̯fˌfaːʁən]/ verb

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

The verdict

“auffahren” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #37,969 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#37,969
frequency rank, German
9
letters
11
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - beim Fahren gegen die Rückseite des vorausfahrenden Fahrzeugs oder gegen ein Hindernis prallen; auf Grund laufen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

auffahren vs Auffahrt
67% similar
auffahren vs Aufnahmen
67% similar
auffahren vs ausführen
78% similar

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

Key facts for auffahren
PropertyValue
Headwordauffahren
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈaʊ̯fˌfaːʁən]
Letters9
Frequency rank#37,969
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “auffahren” 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). auffahren 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 auffahren is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈaʊ̯fˌfaːʁən]. Corpus data places it at rank #37,969 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for auffahren, with forms such as "afufahren", "aufafhren", and "aufahren". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "Auffahrt", "Aufnahmen", "ausführen", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is auffahren, spelled A-U-F-F-A-H-R-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    beim Fahren gegen die Rückseite des vorausfahrenden Fahrzeugs oder gegen ein Hindernis prallen; auf Grund laufen
  2. 2
    mit geringem Abstand hinter einem vorausfahrenden Fahrzeug fahren
  3. 3
    irgendwo anfahren, vorfahren, hinauffahren
  4. 4
    (mit militärischem Gerät, etwa Panzern) irgendwo anfahren und sich für einen Angriff positionieren
  5. 5
    sich vor Schreck, Überraschung schnell erheben, aufrichten
  6. 6
    auf etwas eine heftige, wütende Reaktion zeigen
  7. 7
    (von Sturm oder Ähnlichem) plötzlich, unvermutet entstehen
  8. 8
    sich abrupt öffnen, weit aufgehen
  9. 9
    nach oben schweben und in den Himmel gelangen (Himmelfahrt, Auffahrt)
  10. 10
    aus dem Schacht fahren, zutage fahren
  11. 11
    (militärisches Gerät, etwa Kanonen) irgendwo anfahren und für einen Angriff positionieren
  12. 12
    (reichlich Essen, Getränke) heranbringen und anbieten
  13. 13
    (Schüttgut, Baumaterial oder Ähnliches) irgendwohin fahren und abladen
  14. 14
    (einen Weg, den Boden) durch Befahren aufreißen
  15. 15
    einen Grubenbau herstellen oder erweitern

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: afufahren,aufafhren,aufahren,auffahern,auffahhren,auffahrenn,auffahrne,auffahrren,auffarhen,auffharen,uaffahren

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of auffahren - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

afufahren2aufafhren2aufahren1auffahern2auffahhren1auffahrenn1auffahrne2auffahrren1
Edit distance from "auffahren"

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 "auffahren"?
"auffahren" is spelled A-U-F-F-A-H-R-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaʊ̯fˌfaːʁən].
What does "auffahren" mean?
As a verb, "auffahren" means: beim Fahren gegen die Rückseite des vorausfahrenden Fahrzeugs oder gegen ein Hindernis prallen; auf Grund laufen
What words are commonly confused with "auffahren"?
"auffahren" is commonly confused with "Auffahrt", "Aufnahmen", "ausführen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "auffahren"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "auffahren" is [ˈaʊ̯fˌfaːʁən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "auffahren" come from?
"auffahren" 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 “auffahren”

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

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