Which to use
“behalten” is a verb and “Behältern” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,017
- “behalten” frequency rank
- #43,750
- “Behältern” frequency rank
- 45767
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | behalten | Behältern |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | im Besitz einer Sache bleiben | Dativ Plural des Substantivs Behälter |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set behalten and Behältern apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
behalten and Behältern form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45767, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
behalten is recorded at frequency rank #2,017, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈhaltn̩]. Behältern is at rank #43,750, tagged as anoun, pronounced [bəˈhɛltɐn].
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 45767, this pair ranks #1,341,881 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "behalten" and "Behältern" be used interchangeably?
Remembering behalten vs Behältern
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “behalten”; for a noun, it's “Behältern”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “behalten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable