Which to use
“abhält” and “aufhält” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #28,978
- “abhält” frequency rank
- #17,510
- “aufhält” frequency rank
- 46488
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | abhält | aufhält |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs abhalten | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs aufhalten |
Where the eye mixes abhält and aufhält
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. abhält runs 6 letters (VCCVCC) against aufhält's 7 (VVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses abhält with aufhält
A purely visual mix-up. abhält ([ˈapˌhɛlt]) and aufhält ([ˈaʊ̯fˌhɛlt]) 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 46488, 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]. aufhält is at rank #17,510, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fˌhɛlt].
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 46488, this pair ranks #1,317,350 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of abhält vs aufhält
Shared letters: ahltä. Private to "abhält": b. Private to "aufhält": fu.
"abhält" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "aufhält" · 7 letters · shape VVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "abhält" for "aufhält" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "abhält" or "aufhält" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "abhält" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "aufhält" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,317,350 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "abhält" and "aufhält" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "abhält vs abholt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,317,350 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.