befasstvsbelässtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,803
“befasst” frequency rank
#45,163
“belässt” frequency rank
50966
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature befasst belässt
Definition Partizip Perfekt des Verbs befassen 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs belassen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set befasst and belässt apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
befasst
7 ch
belässt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. befasst ([bəˈfast]) and belässt ([bəˈlɛst]) 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 50966, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

befasst is recorded at frequency rank #5,803, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈfast]. belässt is at rank #45,163, tagged as averb, pronounced [bəˈlɛst].

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 50966, this pair ranks #1,153,640 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of befasst vs belässt

Shared letters: best. Private to "befasst": af. Private to "belässt": .

"befasst" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC  ·  "belässt" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • befasstbbefasst · beafsst · befasstt · befast · befasts · befaßt · beffasst · befsast

Frequency comparison

befasst#5,803
belässt#45,163

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "befasst" and "belässt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([bəˈfast] versus [bəˈlɛst]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "befasst" or "belässt"?
"befasst" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,803 in our German list, against #45,163 for "belässt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering befasst vs belässt

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 “befasst” 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