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 eye mixes Überlassung and Unterlassung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. Überlassung runs 11 letters (VCVCCVCCVCC) against Unterlassung's 12 (VCCVCCVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Überlassung vs Unterlassung
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": bü. Private to "Unterlassung": t.
"Überlassung" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVCC · "Unterlassung" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Unterlassung ← nuterlassung · unetrlassung · unnterlassung · untelrassung · unteralssung · unterlassnug · unterlassugn · unterlassungg
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Überlassung" and "Unterlassung" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary German text, does "Überlassung" or "Unterlassung" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Überlassung" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Unterlassung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #341,748 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Überlassung" and "Unterlassung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Überlassung vs Überlastung". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #341,748 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.