Which to use
“überlassen” is a verb and “Überlassung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,417
- “überlassen” frequency rank
- #39,170
- “Überlassung” frequency rank
- 42587
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | überlassen | Überlassung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem ein Lebewesen oder eine Sache anvertrauen | Übergabe eines Lebewesens oder einer Sache in jemandes Obhut |
Where the eye mixes überlassen and Überlassung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. überlassen runs 10 letters (VCVCCVCCVC) against Überlassung's 11 (VCVCCVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between überlassen and Überlassung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: überlassen is [ˌyːbɐˈlasn̩] while Überlassung is [ˌyːbɐˈlasʊŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42587, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
überlassen is recorded at frequency rank #3,417, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈlasn̩]. Überlassung is at rank #39,170, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈlasʊŋ].
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 42587, this pair ranks #1,444,778 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of überlassen vs Überlassung
Shared letters: abelnrsü. Private to "überlassen": -. Private to "Überlassung": gu.
"überlassen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVC · "Überlassung" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "überlassen" and "Überlassung" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "überlassen" or "Überlassung" show up more?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "überlassen" and "Überlassung" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "überlassen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Überlassung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,444,778 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "überlassen" and "Überlassung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Überlassung vs Unterlassung". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,444,778 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.