NachlassvsnachlassenWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: Nachlass is a noun, nachlassen is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“Nachlass” is a noun and “nachlassen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#9,598
“Nachlass” frequency rank
#26,538
“nachlassen” frequency rank
36136
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Nachlass nachlassen
Definition Gesamtheit dessen, was ein Verstorbener hinterlässt weniger intensiv werden; an Stärke verlieren, schwächer werden

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
Nachlass
10 ch
nachlassen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Nachlass is [ˈnaːxˌlas] while nachlassen is [ˈnaːxˌlasn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “Nachlass” sits inside “nachlassen”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36136, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Nachlass is recorded at frequency rank #9,598, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈnaːxˌlas]. nachlassen is at rank #26,538, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈnaːxˌlasn̩].

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 36136, this pair ranks #1,623,040 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Nachlass vs nachlassen

Shared letters: achlns. Private to "Nachlass": -. Private to "nachlassen": e.

"Nachlass" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC  ·  "nachlassen" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Nachlassanchlass · nacchlass · nachalss · nachhlass · nachlas · nachlaß · nachllass · nachlsas
  • nachlassenanchlassen · nacchlassen · nachalssen · nachhlassen · nachlasen · nachlasesn · nachlassenn · nachlassne

Frequency comparison

Nachlass#9,598
nachlassen#26,538

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Nachlass" and "nachlassen" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "Nachlass" is a noun and "nachlassen" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "Nachlass" or "nachlassen"?
"Nachlass" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,598 in our German list, against #26,538 for "nachlassen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Nachlass vs nachlassen

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Nachlass”; for a verb, it's “nachlassen”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Nachlass” 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