Which to use
“überleg” and “überlege” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,068
- “überleg” frequency rank
- #8,318
- “überlege” frequency rank
- 24386
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | überleg | überlege |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs überlegen | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs überlegen |
Where the eye mixes überleg and überlege
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. überleg runs 7 letters (VCVCCVC) against überlege's 8 (VCVCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses überleg with überlege
A purely visual mix-up. überleg ([ˌyːbɐˈleːk]) and überlege ([ˌyːbɐˈleːɡə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “überleg” sits inside “überlege”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24386, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
überleg is recorded at frequency rank #16,068, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈleːk]. überlege is at rank #8,318, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈleːɡə].
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 24386, this pair ranks #1,848,380 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of überleg vs überlege
Shared letters: beglrü. Private to "überleg": -. Private to "überlege": -.
"überleg" · 7 letters · shape VCVCCVC · "überlege" · 8 letters · shape VCVCCVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "überleg" for "überlege" ever safe?
Which is more common, "überleg" or "überlege"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "überleg" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "überlege" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,848,380 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "überleg" and "überlege" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "überleg vs überlegst". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,848,380 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.