abdeckenvsablenkenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“abdecken” and “ablenken” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#16,341
“abdecken” frequency rank
#12,014
“ablenken” frequency rank
28355
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature abdecken ablenken
Definition eine Decke entfernen die Aufmerksamkeit auf etwas anderes lenken

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set abdecken and ablenken apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
abdecken
8 ch
ablenken

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. abdecken ([ˈapˌdɛkn̩]) and ablenken ([ˈapˌlɛŋkn̩]) 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 28355, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

abdecken is recorded at frequency rank #16,341, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌdɛkn̩]. ablenken is at rank #12,014, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌlɛŋkn̩].

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 28355, this pair ranks #1,786,264 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of abdecken vs ablenken

Shared letters: abekn. Private to "abdecken": cd. Private to "ablenken": l.

"abdecken" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "ablenken" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • abdeckenabbdecken · abdceken · abddecken · abdeccken · abdecekn · abdeckenn · abdeckken · abdeckne
  • ablenkenabblenken · abelnken · ableknen · ablenekn · ablenkenn · ablenkken · ablenkne · ablennken

Frequency comparison

abdecken#16,341
ablenken#12,014

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "abdecken" and "ablenken" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌdɛkn̩] versus [ˈapˌlɛŋkn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "abdecken" or "ablenken"?
"ablenken" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,014 in our German list, against #16,341 for "abdecken". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering abdecken vs ablenken

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “abdecken” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list