Vorlauf
[ˈfoːɐ̯laʊ̯f]
The verdict
“Vorlauf” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #22,957 in German word frequency and used as a noun.
- #22,957
- frequency rank, German
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
- 14
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - die normale Laufrichtung
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 | Vorlauf |
| Language | German |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | [ˈfoːɐ̯laʊ̯f] |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #22,957 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 14 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Vorlauf” sits in German frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The German entry for Vorlauf is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈfoːɐ̯laʊ̯f]. Corpus data places it at rank #22,957 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 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 Vorlauf, with forms such as "ovrlauf", "volrauf", and "voraluf". 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 14 confusable-pair relationships, "Vorraum", "vorläufig", "Vorläufer", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Vorlauf, spelled V-O-R-L-A-U-F.
Definition
- 1die normale Laufrichtung
- 2Gruppierung von Buchungen
- 3Teil der Transportkette bis zum Umschlagplatz
- 4Zeitspanne zur Vorbereitung
- 5(insbesondere in der DDR) Vorarbeit zur Orientierung für ein Projekt
- 6Das erste Destillat
- 7Beschleunigter Lauf vorwärts in der Zeit bei einer Aufnahme
- 8Vorauseilen der analogen Anzeige eines Messgerätes
- 9Vorqualifikation vor dem eigentlichen Lauf
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ovrlauf,volrauf,voraluf,vorlafu,vorlauff,vorllauf,vorluaf,vorrlauf,vrolauf,vvorlauf
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Vorlauf - 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 "Vorlauf"?
What does "Vorlauf" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "Vorlauf"?
How do you pronounce "Vorlauf"?
What language does "Vorlauf" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “Vorlauf”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct German spelling is V-O-R-L-A-U-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [ˈfoːɐ̯laʊ̯f] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “Vorraum” - see the side-by-side comparison. Vorlauf vs Vorraum
- 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.