Which to use
“überlege” and “überlesen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,318
- “überlege” frequency rank
- #47,169
- “überlesen” frequency rank
- 55487
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | überlege | überlesen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs überlegen | etwas beim Lesen nicht bemerken |
Where the eye mixes überlege and überlesen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. überlege runs 8 letters (VCVCCVCV) against überlesen's 9 (VCVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses überlege with überlesen
A purely visual mix-up. überlege ([ˌyːbɐˈleːɡə]) 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 55487, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
überlege is recorded at frequency rank #8,318, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈleːɡə]. 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 55487, this pair ranks #977,647 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of überlege vs überlesen
Shared letters: belrü. Private to "überlege": g. Private to "überlesen": ns.
"überlege" · 8 letters · shape VCVCCVCV · "überlesen" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "überlege" for "überlesen" ever safe?
Which is more common, "überlege" or "überlesen"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "überlege" 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 #977,647 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "überlege" and "überlesen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "überlesen vs Überresten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #977,647 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.