härtenvshattetWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#47,493
“härten” frequency rank
#13,161
“hattet” frequency rank
60654
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature härten hattet
Definition transitiv: 2. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs haben

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set härten and hattet apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
härten
6 ch
hattet

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. härten ([ˈhɛʁtn̩]) and hattet ([ˈhatət]) 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 60654, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

härten is recorded at frequency rank #47,493, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈhɛʁtn̩]. hattet is at rank #13,161, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈhatət].

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 60654, this pair ranks #778,907 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of härten vs hattet

Shared letters: eht. Private to "härten": nrä. Private to "hattet": a.

"härten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "hattet" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • hattetahttet · hatett · hattett · hattte · hhattet · htatet

Frequency comparison

härten#47,493
hattet#13,161

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "härten" and "hattet" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈhɛʁtn̩] versus [ˈhatət]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "härten" or "hattet"?
"hattet" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,161 in our German list, against #47,493 for "härten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering härten vs hattet

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 “härten” 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