Which to use
“ago” and “auf” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,434
- “ago” frequency rank
- #42,318
- “auf” frequency rank
- 51752
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ago | auf |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | há, atrás – adj | aberto |
Where the eye mixes ago and auf
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. ago (VCV) and auf (VVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: ago vs auf
A purely visual mix-up. ago (/əˈɡəʊ/) and auf (/aʊ̯f/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51752, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ago is recorded at frequency rank #9,434, classified as anadv, pronounced /əˈɡəʊ/. auf is at rank #42,318, tagged as anadv, pronounced /aʊ̯f/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 51752, this pair ranks #13,346 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of ago vs auf
Shared letters: a. Private to "ago": go. Private to "auf": fu.
"ago" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "auf" · 3 letters · shape VVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ago" and "auf" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ago" or "auf"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ago" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "auf" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #13,346 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ago" and "auf" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "acs vs auf". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #13,346 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.