Which to use
“abhält” and “abhängt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #28,978
- “abhält” frequency rank
- #13,297
- “abhängt” frequency rank
- 42275
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | abhält | abhängt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs abhalten | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs abhängen |
Where the eye mixes abhält and abhängt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. abhält runs 6 letters (VCCVCC) against abhängt's 7 (VCCVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between abhält and abhängt
A purely visual mix-up. abhält ([ˈapˌhɛlt]) and abhängt ([ˈapˌhɛŋt]) 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 42275, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
abhält is recorded at frequency rank #28,978, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌhɛlt]. abhängt is at rank #13,297, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌhɛŋt].
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 42275, this pair ranks #1,454,388 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of abhält vs abhängt
Shared letters: abhtä. Private to "abhält": l. Private to "abhängt": gn.
"abhält" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "abhängt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "abhält" for "abhängt" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "abhält" or "abhängt" show up more?
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 "abhält" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "abhängt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,454,388 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "abhält" and "abhängt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "abhält vs abholt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,454,388 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.