labervslasenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#36,469
“laber” frequency rank
#28,289
“lasen” frequency rank
64758
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature laber lasen
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs labern 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs lesen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set laber and lasen apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
laber
5 ch
lasen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. laber ([ˈlaːbɐ]) and lasen ([ˈlaːzn̩]) 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 64758, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

laber is recorded at frequency rank #36,469, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlaːbɐ]. lasen is at rank #28,289, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈlaːzn̩].

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 64758, this pair ranks #630,388 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of laber vs lasen

Shared letters: ael. Private to "laber": br. Private to "lasen": ns.

"laber" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "lasen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • laberalber · labber · laberr · labre · laebr · lbaer · llaber
  • lasenalsen · laesn · lasenn · lasne · llasen · lsaen

Frequency comparison

laber#36,469
lasen#28,289

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "laber" and "lasen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈlaːbɐ] versus [ˈlaːzn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "laber" or "lasen"?
"lasen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #28,289 in our German list, against #36,469 for "laber". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering laber vs lasen

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 “laber” 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