Which to use
“überlassen” and “überlesen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,417
- “überlassen” frequency rank
- #47,169
- “überlesen” frequency rank
- 50586
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | überlassen | überlesen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem ein Lebewesen oder eine Sache anvertrauen | etwas beim Lesen nicht bemerken |
Where the eye mixes überlassen and überlesen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. überlassen runs 10 letters (VCVCCVCCVC) against überlesen's 9 (VCVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: überlassen vs überlesen
A purely visual mix-up. überlassen ([ˌyːbɐˈlasn̩]) and überlesen ([ˌyːbɐˈleːzn̩]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50586, 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]. überlesen is at rank #47,169, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈleːzn̩].
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 50586, this pair ranks #1,168,032 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of überlassen vs überlesen
Shared letters: belnrsü. Private to "überlassen": a. Private to "überlesen": -.
"überlassen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVC · "überlesen" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "überlassen" for "überlesen" ever safe?
Frequency check: "überlassen" vs "überlesen" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "überlassen" and "überlesen" 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 "überlesen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,168,032 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "überlassen" and "überlesen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "überlesen vs Überresten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,168,032 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.