Which to use
“überlesen” and “überwiesen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #47,169
- “überlesen” frequency rank
- #13,535
- “überwiesen” frequency rank
- 60704
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | überlesen | überwiesen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas beim Lesen nicht bemerken | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs überweisen |
Where the eye mixes überlesen and überwiesen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. überlesen runs 9 letters (VCVCCVCVC) against überwiesen'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 überwiesen
A purely visual mix-up. überlesen ([ˌyːbɐˈleːzn̩]) and überwiesen ([ˌyːbɐˈviːzn̩]) 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 60704, 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]. überwiesen is at rank #13,535, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈviːzn̩].
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 60704, this pair ranks #777,067 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of überlesen vs überwiesen
Shared letters: benrsü. Private to "überlesen": l. Private to "überwiesen": iw.
"überlesen" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCVCVC · "überwiesen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "überlesen" and "überwiesen" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "überlesen" or "überwiesen" 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 "überwiesen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #777,067 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "überlesen" and "überwiesen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "überlesen vs Überresten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #777,067 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.