AblehnungvsAbmahnungWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,055
“Ablehnung” frequency rank
#19,803
“Abmahnung” frequency rank
24858
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Ablehnung Abmahnung
Definition negative Reaktion auf eine Sache oder eine Person; Zurückweisung oder Abneigung gegen etwas die formale Aufforderung einer Person an eine andere Person, ein bestimmtes Verhalten künftig zu unterlassen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Ablehnung and Abmahnung apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
Ablehnung
9 ch
Abmahnung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Ablehnung ([ˈapˌleːnʊŋ]) and Abmahnung ([ˈapˌmaːnʊŋ]) 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 24858, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Ablehnung is recorded at frequency rank #5,055, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌleːnʊŋ]. Abmahnung is at rank #19,803, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌmaːnʊŋ].

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 24858, this pair ranks #1,841,629 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Ablehnung vs Abmahnung

Shared letters: abghnu. Private to "Ablehnung": el. Private to "Abmahnung": m.

"Ablehnung" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCC  ·  "Abmahnung" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Ablehnungabblehnung · abelhnung · ablehhnung · ablehnnug · ablehnnung · ablehnugn · ablehnungg · ablehnunng
  • Abmahnungabamhnung · abbmahnung · abmahhnung · abmahnnug · abmahnnung · abmahnugn · abmahnungg · abmahnunng

Frequency comparison

Ablehnung#5,055
Abmahnung#19,803

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Ablehnung" and "Abmahnung" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌleːnʊŋ] versus [ˈapˌmaːnʊŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Ablehnung" or "Abmahnung"?
"Ablehnung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,055 in our German list, against #19,803 for "Abmahnung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Ablehnung vs Abmahnung

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 “Ablehnung” 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