enthältvsenthaltenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,474
“enthält” frequency rank
#1,658
“enthalten” frequency rank
3132
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature enthält enthalten
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs enthalten so beschaffen sein, dass das eine (mit dem stets nötigen Akkusativ-Objekt Bezeichnete) ein Teil des anderen (des mit dem Subjekt Bezeichneten) ist; einen Inhalt haben; bestehen aus

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set enthält and enthalten apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
enthält
9 ch
enthalten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. enthält ([ɛntˈhɛlt]) and enthalten ([ɛntˈhaltn̩]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3132, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

enthält is recorded at frequency rank #1,474, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈhɛlt]. enthalten is at rank #1,658, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈhaltn̩].

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 3132, this pair ranks #2,000,874 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of enthält vs enthalten

Shared letters: ehlnt. Private to "enthält": ä. Private to "enthalten": a.

"enthält" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCC  ·  "enthalten" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • enthaltenenhtalten · ennthalten · entahlten · enthaletn · enthallten · enthaltenn · enthaltne · enthaltten

Frequency comparison

enthält#1,474
enthalten#1,658

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "enthält" and "enthalten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛntˈhɛlt] versus [ɛntˈhaltn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "enthält" or "enthalten"?
"enthält" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,474 in our German list, against #1,658 for "enthalten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering enthält vs enthalten

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 “enthält” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list