Which to use
“aufhalten” and “aufhängen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,679
- “aufhalten” frequency rank
- #12,232
- “aufhängen” frequency rank
- 17911
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | aufhalten | aufhängen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemanden/etwas nicht weitergehen/weiterfortschreiten lassen | an eine bestimmte, dafür vorgesehene Stelle hängen (zum Beispiel an einen Haken) |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set aufhalten and aufhängen apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. aufhalten ([ˈaʊ̯fˌhaltn̩]) and aufhängen ([ˈaʊ̯fˌhɛŋən]) 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 17911, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
aufhalten is recorded at frequency rank #5,679, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fˌhaltn̩]. aufhängen is at rank #12,232, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fˌhɛŋən].
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 17911, this pair ranks #1,923,142 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of aufhalten vs aufhängen
Shared letters: aefhnu. Private to "aufhalten": lt. Private to "aufhängen": gä.
"aufhalten" · 9 letters · shape VVCCVCCVC · "aufhängen" · 9 letters · shape VVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- aufhalten ← afuhalten · aufahlten · auffhalten · aufhaletn · aufhallten · aufhaltenn · aufhaltne · aufhaltten
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "aufhalten" and "aufhängen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "aufhalten" or "aufhängen"?
Remembering aufhalten vs aufhängen
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 “aufhalten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable