behältvsbelltWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“behält” and “bellt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#8,031
“behält” frequency rank
#43,754
“bellt” frequency rank
51785
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature behält bellt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs behalten 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs bellen

Where the eye mixes behält and bellt

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.

6 ch
behält
5 ch
bellt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. behält ([bəˈhɛlt]) and bellt ([bɛlt]) 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 51785, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

behält is recorded at frequency rank #8,031, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈhɛlt]. bellt is at rank #43,754, tagged as averb, pronounced [bɛlt].

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 51785, this pair ranks #1,122,121 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of behält vs bellt

Shared letters: belt. Private to "behält": . Private to "bellt": -.

"behält" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC  ·  "bellt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • belltbbellt · belltt · beltl · blelt · ebllt

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "behält" and "bellt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([bəˈhɛlt] versus [bɛlt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "behält" or "bellt"?
"behält" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,031 in our German list, against #43,754 for "bellt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list