Which to use
“behalten” is a verb and “bezahlten” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,017
- “behalten” frequency rank
- #13,563
- “bezahlten” frequency rank
- 15580
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | behalten | bezahlten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | im Besitz einer Sache bleiben | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs bezahlt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set behalten and bezahlten apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: behalten is [bəˈhaltn̩] while bezahlten is [bəˈt͡saːltn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15580, 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]. bezahlten is at rank #13,563, tagged as anadj, pronounced [bəˈt͡saːltn̩].
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 15580, this pair ranks #1,942,748 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of behalten vs bezahlten
Shared letters: abehlnt. Private to "behalten": -. Private to "bezahlten": z.
"behalten" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "bezahlten" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "behalten" and "bezahlten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "behalten" or "bezahlten"?
Remembering behalten vs bezahlten
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “behalten”; for an adjective, it's “bezahlten”.
- 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