entlassenvsentlastenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,435
“entlassen” frequency rank
#12,897
“entlasten” frequency rank
16332
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature entlassen entlasten
Definition jemandem erlauben zu gehen von einer Beschwernis befreien

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set entlassen and entlasten apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
entlassen
9 ch
entlasten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. entlassen ([ɛntˈlasn̩]) and entlasten ([ɛntˈlastn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - s in “entlassen” becomes t in “entlasten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16332, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

entlassen is recorded at frequency rank #3,435, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈlasn̩]. entlasten is at rank #12,897, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈlastn̩].

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 16332, this pair ranks #1,936,720 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of entlassen vs entlasten

Shared letters: aelnst. Private to "entlassen": -. Private to "entlasten": -.

"entlassen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC  ·  "entlasten" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • entlassenenltassen · enntlassen · entalssen · entlasen · entlasesn · entlassenn · entlassne · entlaßen
  • entlastenenltasten · enntlasten · entalsten · entlasetn · entlassten · entlastenn · entlastne · entlastten

Frequency comparison

entlassen#3,435
entlasten#12,897

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "entlassen" and "entlasten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛntˈlasn̩] versus [ɛntˈlastn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "entlassen" or "entlasten"?
"entlassen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,435 in our German list, against #12,897 for "entlasten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering entlassen vs entlasten

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 “entlassen” 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