ÜberlassungvsUnterlassungWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#39,170
“Überlassung” frequency rank
#34,956
“Unterlassung” frequency rank
74126
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Überlassung Unterlassung
Definition Übergabe eines Lebewesens oder einer Sache in jemandes Obhut (oft absichtliches) Ausbleiben einer Handlung

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Überlassung and Unterlassung apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
Überlassung
12 ch
Unterlassung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Überlassung ([ˌyːbɐˈlasʊŋ]) and Unterlassung ([ˌʊntɐˈlasʊŋ]) 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 74126, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Überlassung is recorded at frequency rank #39,170, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈlasʊŋ]. Unterlassung is at rank #34,956, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˌʊntɐˈlasʊŋ].

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 74126, this pair ranks #341,748 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Überlassung vs Unterlassung

Shared letters: aeglnrsu. Private to "Überlassung": . Private to "Unterlassung": t.

"Überlassung" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVCC  ·  "Unterlassung" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Unterlassungnuterlassung · unetrlassung · unnterlassung · untelrassung · unteralssung · unterlassnug · unterlassugn · unterlassungg

Frequency comparison

Überlassung#39,170
Unterlassung#34,956

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Überlassung" and "Unterlassung" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˌyːbɐˈlasʊŋ] versus [ˌʊntɐˈlasʊŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Überlassung" or "Unterlassung"?
"Unterlassung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #34,956 in our German list, against #39,170 for "Überlassung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Überlassung vs Unterlassung

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 “Überlassung” 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