Which to use
“gehalten” and “gemalten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,419
- “gehalten” frequency rank
- #37,535
- “gemalten” frequency rank
- 38954
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gehalten | gemalten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | maßvoll, beherrscht | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs gemalt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gehalten and gemalten apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. gehalten ([ɡəˈhaltn̩]) and gemalten ([ɡəˈmaːltn̩]) 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 a single letter - h in “gehalten” becomes m in “gemalten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38954, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
gehalten is recorded at frequency rank #1,419, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈhaltn̩]. gemalten is at rank #37,535, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈmaːltn̩].
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 38954, this pair ranks #1,550,153 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of gehalten vs gemalten
Shared letters: aeglnt. Private to "gehalten": h. Private to "gemalten": m.
"gehalten" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "gemalten" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "gehalten" and "gemalten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "gehalten" or "gemalten"?
Remembering gehalten vs gemalten
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 “gehalten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable