hältst vs hängst, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#9,218
“hältst” frequency rank: #30,123
“hängst” frequency rank: 39341
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	hältst	hängst
Definition	2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs halten	2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs hängen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hältst and hängst apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch

hältst

6 ch

hängst

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. hältst ([hɛlt͡st]) and hängst ([hɛŋst]) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39341, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

hältst is recorded at frequency rank #9,218, classified as averb, pronounced [hɛlt͡st]. hängst is at rank #30,123, tagged as averb, pronounced [hɛŋst].

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 39341, this pair ranks #1,539,458 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of hältst vs hängst

Shared letters: hstä. Private to "hältst": l. Private to "hängst": gn.

"hältst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC · "hängst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC

Frequency comparison

hältst#9,218

hängst#30,123

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "hältst" and "hängst" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([hɛlt͡st] versus [hɛŋst]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "hältst" or "hängst"?

"hältst" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,218 in our German list, against #30,123 for "hängst". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering hältst vs hängst

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