Which to use
“halten” and “hältst” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #395
- “halten” frequency rank
- #9,218
- “hältst” frequency rank
- 9613
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | halten | hältst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas durch Kraftausübung in Ruhe belassen oder bringen | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs halten |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set halten and hältst apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. halten ([ˈhaltn̩]) and hältst ([hɛlt͡st]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9613, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
halten is recorded at frequency rank #395, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈhaltn̩]. hältst is at rank #9,218, tagged as averb, pronounced [hɛlt͡st].
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 9613, this pair ranks #1,979,127 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of halten vs hältst
Shared letters: hlt. Private to "halten": aen. Private to "hältst": sä.
"halten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "hältst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- halten ← ahlten · haletn · hallten · haltenn · haltne · haltten · hatlen · hhalten
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "halten" and "hältst" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "halten" or "hältst"?
Remembering halten vs hältst
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 “halten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable