ablassenvsablösenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#26,281
“ablassen” frequency rank
#20,483
“ablösen” frequency rank
46764
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ablassen ablösen
Definition eine Sache nicht weiter verfolgen eine Aufgabe für jemanden übernehmen, jemanden ersetzen

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
ablassen
7 ch
ablösen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ablassen ([ˈapˌlasn̩]) and ablösen ([ˈapˌløːzn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46764, 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]. ablösen is at rank #20,483, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌløːzn̩].

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 46764, this pair ranks #1,307,847 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of ablassen vs ablösen

Shared letters: abelns. Private to "ablassen": -. Private to "ablösen": ö.

"ablassen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "ablösen" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • ablassenabalssen · abblassen · ablasen · ablasesn · ablassenn · ablassne · ablaßen · abllassen

Frequency comparison

ablassen#26,281
ablösen#20,483

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ablassen" and "ablösen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌlasn̩] versus [ˈapˌløːzn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ablassen" or "ablösen"?
"ablösen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,483 in our German list, against #26,281 for "ablassen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ablassen vs ablösen

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 “ablassen” 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