ablösenvsAblösungWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: ablösen is a verb, Ablösung is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“ablösen” is a verb and “Ablösung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#20,483
“ablösen” frequency rank
#17,489
“Ablösung” frequency rank
37972
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ablösen Ablösung
Definition eine Aufgabe für jemanden übernehmen, jemanden ersetzen (bei der Arbeit) die Tätigkeit und das Ereignis, wenn eine Schicht wechselt

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
ablösen
8 ch
Ablösung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ablösen is [ˈapˌløːzn̩] while Ablösung is [ˈapˌløːzʊŋ]. 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 (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37972, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ablösen is recorded at frequency rank #20,483, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌløːzn̩]. Ablösung is at rank #17,489, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌløːzʊŋ].

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 37972, this pair ranks #1,576,239 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of ablösen vs Ablösung

Shared letters: ablnsö. Private to "ablösen": e. Private to "Ablösung": gu.

"ablösen" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC  ·  "Ablösung" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCVCC

Frequency comparison

ablösen#20,483
Ablösung#17,489

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ablösen" and "Ablösung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "ablösen" is a verb and "Ablösung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "ablösen" or "Ablösung"?
"Ablösung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,489 in our German list, against #20,483 for "ablösen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ablösen vs Ablösung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ablösen”; for a noun, it's “Ablösung”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ablösen” 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