AnlagevsAnlassWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,651
“Anlage” frequency rank
#2,231
“Anlass” frequency rank
3882
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Anlage Anlass
Definition persönliche Veranlagung (geistig, körperlich); Faktoren, die durch Erziehung nicht beeinflussbar sind ein Grund, der den Zweck einer Handlung oder eines Verhaltens erklärt; beziehungsweise ein Beweggrund

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Anlage and Anlass apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Anlage
6 ch
Anlass

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Anlage ([ˈanˌlaːɡə]) and Anlass ([ˈanˌlas]) 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 3882, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Anlage is recorded at frequency rank #1,651, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈanˌlaːɡə]. Anlass is at rank #2,231, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈanˌlas].

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 3882, this pair ranks #1,999,139 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Anlage vs Anlass

Shared letters: aln. Private to "Anlage": eg. Private to "Anlass": s.

"Anlage" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV  ·  "Anlass" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Anlagealnage · analge · anlaeg · anlagge · anlgae · anllage · annlage · nalage
  • Anlassalnass · analss · anlas · anlaß · anllass · anlsas · annlass · nalass

Frequency comparison

Anlage#1,651
Anlass#2,231

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Anlage" and "Anlass" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈanˌlaːɡə] versus [ˈanˌlas]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Anlage" or "Anlass"?
"Anlage" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,651 in our German list, against #2,231 for "Anlass". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Anlage vs Anlass

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 “Anlage” 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