Which to use
“abholen” and “anhören” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,792
- “abholen” frequency rank
- #6,143
- “anhören” frequency rank
- 11935
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | abholen | anhören |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | von einem Ort nehmen, um es (mit sich) an einen anderen zu bringen | jemandem (aufmerksam) zuhören; jemandem (vor allem vor Gericht) Gehör schenken |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set abholen and anhören apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. abholen ([ˈapˌhoːlən]) and anhören ([ˈanˌhøːʁən]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11935, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
abholen is recorded at frequency rank #5,792, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌhoːlən]. anhören is at rank #6,143, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌhøːʁən].
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 11935, this pair ranks #1,967,127 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of abholen vs anhören
Shared letters: aehn. Private to "abholen": blo. Private to "anhören": rö.
"abholen" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC · "anhören" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- abholen ← abbholen · abhholen · abhloen · abhoeln · abholenn · abhollen · abholne · abohlen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "abholen" and "anhören" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "abholen" or "anhören"?
Remembering abholen vs anhören
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 “abholen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable