Which to use
“überlesen” and “überweisen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #47,169
- “überlesen” frequency rank
- #13,534
- “überweisen” frequency rank
- 60703
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | überlesen | überweisen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas beim Lesen nicht bemerken | einen Geldbetrag von einem Konto auf ein anderes Konto übertragen, einem anderen Konto gutschreiben |
Where the eye mixes überlesen and überweisen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. überlesen runs 9 letters (VCVCCVCVC) against überweisen's 10 (VCVCCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses überlesen with überweisen
A purely visual mix-up. überlesen ([ˌyːbɐˈleːzn̩]) and überweisen ([ˌyːbɐˈvaɪ̯zn̩]) 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 60703, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
überlesen is recorded at frequency rank #47,169, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈleːzn̩]. überweisen is at rank #13,534, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈvaɪ̯zn̩].
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 60703, this pair ranks #777,108 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of überlesen vs überweisen
Shared letters: benrsü. Private to "überlesen": l. Private to "überweisen": iw.
"überlesen" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCVCVC · "überweisen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "überlesen" for "überweisen" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "überlesen" or "überweisen" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "überlesen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "überweisen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #777,108 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "überlesen" and "überweisen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "überlesen vs Überresten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #777,108 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.