abhältvsAsphaltWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: abhält is a verb, Asphalt is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“abhält” is a verb and “Asphalt” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#28,978
“abhält” frequency rank
#14,006
“Asphalt” frequency rank
42984
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature abhält Asphalt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs abhalten eine natürliche oder technisch hergestellte Mischung aus Bitumen und Mineralstoffen, die im Straßenbau verwendet wird

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set abhält and Asphalt apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
abhält
7 ch
Asphalt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: abhält is [ˈapˌhɛlt] while Asphalt is [asˈfalt]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42984, 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]. Asphalt is at rank #14,006, tagged as anoun, pronounced [asˈfalt].

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 42984, this pair ranks #1,432,240 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of abhält vs Asphalt

Shared letters: ahlt. Private to "abhält": . Private to "Asphalt": ps.

"abhält" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC  ·  "Asphalt" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Asphaltapshalt · ashpalt · aspahlt · asphallt · asphaltt · asphatl · asphhalt · asphlat

Frequency comparison

abhält#28,978
Asphalt#14,006

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "abhält" and "Asphalt" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "abhält" is a verb and "Asphalt" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "abhält" or "Asphalt"?
"Asphalt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,006 in our German list, against #28,978 for "abhält". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering abhält vs Asphalt

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “abhält”; for a noun, it's “Asphalt”.
  • 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