auffangen

Name: auffangen, German Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

[ˈaʊ̯fˌfaŋən]

/[ˈaʊ̯fˌfaŋən]/ verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“auffangen” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #27,628 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#27,628
frequency rank, German: 9
letters: 11
tracked misspellings: 11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas oder jemanden, das/der (nach unten) fällt, ergreifen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

auffangen vs Auflagen

67% similar

auffangen vs aufhängen

78% similar

auffangen vs auffinden

78% similar

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

Key facts for auffangen
Property	Value
Headword	auffangen
Language	German
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	[ˈaʊ̯fˌfaŋən]
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#27,628
Misspellings tracked	11
Confusable pairs	11
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “auffangen” 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). auffangen lands here:

#27,628

#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 auffangen is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈaʊ̯fˌfaŋən]. Corpus data places it at rank #27,628 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 11 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 auffangen, with forms such as "afufangen", "aufafngen", and "aufangen". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "Auflagen", "aufhängen", "auffinden", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is auffangen, spelled A-U-F-F-A-N-G-E-N.

Definition

1
etwas oder jemanden, das/der (nach unten) fällt, ergreifen
2
eine Flüssigkeit oder ein Gas in sich aufnehmen, sammeln
3
Einwanderer und/oder Flüchtlinge zusammenbringen und vorübergehend einquartieren
4
jemanden oder etwas auf seinem Weg aufhalten; etwas an der Erreichung seines Ziels hindern
5
einen Stoß, Schlag oder Ähnliches abfangen, abwehren
6
die (negativen) Auswirkungen von etwas abmildern, verringern
7
eine fliehende Person festnehmen
8
etwas heimlich oder zufällig erfahren, sehen oder hören
9
ein über Funk laufendes Gespräch zufällig einschalten
10
zur Verhinderung eines Absturzes unter Kontrolle bringen
11
eine Masche, die von der Stricknadel heruntergefallen ist, wieder auf die Nadel heben

This word in other languages

recoger(Español)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: afufangen,aufafngen,aufangen,auffagnen,auffanegn,auffangenn,auffanggen,auffangne,auffanngen,auffnagen,uaffangen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of auffangen - 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.

Edit distance from "auffangen"

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 "auffangen"?

"auffangen" is spelled A-U-F-F-A-N-G-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaʊ̯fˌfaŋən].

What does "auffangen" mean?

As a verb, "auffangen" means: etwas oder jemanden, das/der (nach unten) fällt, ergreifen

What words are commonly confused with "auffangen"?

"auffangen" is commonly confused with "Auflagen", "aufhängen", "auffinden". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "auffangen"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "auffangen" is [ˈaʊ̯fˌfaŋən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What language does "auffangen" come from?

"auffangen" 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.

Using “auffangen”

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

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