Which to use
“ablassen” and “ablaufen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #26,281
- “ablassen” frequency rank
- #13,298
- “ablaufen” frequency rank
- 39579
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ablassen | ablaufen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | eine Sache nicht weiter verfolgen | zu laufen beginnen |
Where the eye mixes ablassen and ablaufen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. ablassen (VCCVCCVC) and ablaufen (VCCVVCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses ablassen with ablaufen
A purely visual mix-up. ablassen ([ˈapˌlasn̩]) and ablaufen ([ˈapˌlaʊ̯fn̩]) 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 39579, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ablassen is recorded at frequency rank #26,281, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌlasn̩]. ablaufen is at rank #13,298, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌlaʊ̯fn̩].
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 39579, this pair ranks #1,532,840 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ablassen vs ablaufen
Shared letters: abeln. Private to "ablassen": s. Private to "ablaufen": fu.
"ablassen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "ablaufen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ablassen" and "ablaufen" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "ablassen" vs "ablaufen" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ablassen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ablaufen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,532,840 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ablassen" and "ablaufen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ablassen vs anlassen". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,532,840 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.