überlassenvsüberlastetWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,417
“überlassen” frequency rank
#20,476
“überlastet” frequency rank
23893
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature überlassen überlastet
Definition jemandem ein Lebewesen oder eine Sache anvertrauen 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs überlasten

Where the spellings diverge

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

10 ch
überlassen
10 ch
überlastet

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. überlassen ([ˌyːbɐˈlasn̩]) and überlastet ([ˌyːbɐˈlastət]) 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 23893, 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]. überlastet is at rank #20,476, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈlastət].

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 23893, this pair ranks #1,855,173 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of überlassen vs überlastet

Shared letters: abelrsü. Private to "überlassen": n. Private to "überlastet": t.

"überlassen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVC  ·  "überlastet" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVC

Frequency comparison

überlassen#3,417
überlastet#20,476

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "überlassen" and "überlastet" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˌyːbɐˈlasn̩] versus [ˌyːbɐˈlastət]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "überlassen" or "überlastet"?
"überlassen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,417 in our German list, against #20,476 for "überlastet". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering überlassen vs überlastet

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 “überlassen” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list