abhält vs aufhält, What's the Difference?

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 spellings diverge

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

6 ch

abhält

7 ch

aufhält

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

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

Frequency comparison

abhält#28,978

aufhält#17,510

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "abhält" and "aufhält" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌhɛlt] versus [ˈaʊ̯fˌhɛlt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "abhält" or "aufhält"?

"aufhält" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,510 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 aufhält

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