abhältvsabholtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“abhält” and “abholt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#28,978
“abhält” frequency rank
#38,551
“abholt” frequency rank
67529
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature abhält abholt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs abhalten 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs abholen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set abhält and abholt apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
abhält
6 ch
abholt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. abhält ([ˈapˌhɛlt]) and abholt ([ˈapˌhoːlt]) 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 a single letter - ä in “abhält” becomes o in “abholt”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 67529, 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]. abholt is at rank #38,551, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌhoːlt].

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 67529, this pair ranks #537,236 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of abhält vs abholt

Shared letters: abhlt. Private to "abhält": ä. Private to "abholt": o.

"abhält" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC  ·  "abholt" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • abholtabbholt · abhholt · abhlot · abhollt · abholtt · abhotl · abohlt · ahbolt

Frequency comparison

abhält#28,978
abholt#38,551

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "abhält" and "abholt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌhɛlt] versus [ˈapˌhoːlt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "abhält" or "abholt"?
"abhält" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #28,978 in our German list, against #38,551 for "abholt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering abhält vs abholt

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “abhält” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list