Which to use
“abweisen” and “abwenden” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #37,338
- “abweisen” frequency rank
- #18,145
- “abwenden” frequency rank
- 55483
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | abweisen | abwenden |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | eine Bitte, eine Anfrage ablehnen; einer Bitte oder Anfrage nicht nachkommen | (sich) zur Seite wegdrehen; sich von jemandem zurückziehen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set abweisen and abwenden apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. abweisen ([ˈapˌvaɪ̯zn̩]) and abwenden ([ˈapˌvɛndn̩]) 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 55483, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
abweisen is recorded at frequency rank #37,338, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌvaɪ̯zn̩]. abwenden is at rank #18,145, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌvɛndn̩].
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 55483, this pair ranks #977,781 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of abweisen vs abwenden
Shared letters: abenw. Private to "abweisen": is. Private to "abwenden": d.
"abweisen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVVCVC · "abwenden" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "abweisen" and "abwenden" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "abweisen" or "abwenden"?
Remembering abweisen vs abwenden
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 “abweisen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable