Which to use
“ak” is a noun and “auf” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #15,974
- “ak” frequency rank
- #42,318
- “auf” frequency rank
- 58292
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ak | auf |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | irmão (que não é o primogênito) | aberto |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ak and auf apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ak is /ák̚/ while auf is /aʊ̯f/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58292, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ak is recorded at frequency rank #15,974, classified as anoun, pronounced /ák̚/. 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 58292, this pair ranks #8,829 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of ak vs auf
Shared letters: a. Private to "ak": k. Private to "auf": fu.
"ak" · 2 letters · shape VC · "auf" · 3 letters · shape VVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ak" and "auf" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ak" or "auf"?
Remembering ak vs auf
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “ak”; for an adverb, it's “auf”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ak” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable