aufgeben

[ˈaʊ̯fˌɡeːbn̩]

/[ˈaʊ̯fˌɡeːbn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

“aufgeben” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #4,249 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#4,249
frequency rank, German
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas Sinnloses beenden, aufhören, einstellen; etwas beenden, obwohl der Sinn im Weitermachen besteht

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

aufgeben vs Ausgaben
63% similar
aufgeben vs ausgehen
75% similar
aufgeben vs ausgeben
88% similar

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

Key facts for aufgeben
PropertyValue
Headwordaufgeben
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈaʊ̯fˌɡeːbn̩]
Letters8
Frequency rank#4,249
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “aufgeben” 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). aufgeben 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 aufgeben is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈaʊ̯fˌɡeːbn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #4,249 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 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 aufgeben, with forms such as "afugeben", "aufegben", and "auffgeben". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "Ausgaben", "ausgehen", "ausgeben", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, 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 aufgeben, spelled A-U-F-G-E-B-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas Sinnloses beenden, aufhören, einstellen; etwas beenden, obwohl der Sinn im Weitermachen besteht
  2. 2
    jemandem (etwas) aufgeben: etwas zur Erledigung auftragen, zur Aufgabe machen
  3. 3
    jemandem etwas zur Beförderung oder Bearbeitung übergeben
  4. 4
    keine Hoffnung mehr auf Genesung/Rettung von jemandem haben, jemanden als tot/verloren betrachten

Synonyms

aufhörenaufsteckenablassenkapitulierenbeauftragenabgebeneinliefernetwas in Auftrag gebenabschreiben

Antonyms

fortsetzenweitermachenaufbekommenaufkriegenaufhabenannehmenentgegennehmen

This word in other languages

give up(English)cesar(Español)cesser(Français)desistir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: afugeben,aufegben,auffgeben,aufgbeen,aufgebben,aufgebenn,aufgebne,aufgeebn,aufggeben,augfeben,uafgeben

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of aufgeben - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

afugeben2aufegben2auffgeben1aufgbeen2aufgebben1aufgebenn1aufgebne2aufgeebn2
Edit distance from "aufgeben"

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 "aufgeben"?
"aufgeben" is spelled A-U-F-G-E-B-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaʊ̯fˌɡeːbn̩].
What does "aufgeben" mean?
As a verb, "aufgeben" means: etwas Sinnloses beenden, aufhören, einstellen; etwas beenden, obwohl der Sinn im Weitermachen besteht
What words are commonly confused with "aufgeben"?
"aufgeben" is commonly confused with "Ausgaben", "ausgehen", "ausgeben". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "aufgeben"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "aufgeben" is [ˈaʊ̯fˌɡeːbn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "aufgeben" come from?
"aufgeben" 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 “aufgeben”

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

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