Which to use
“härten” and “hüten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #47,493
- “härten” frequency rank
- #16,182
- “hüten” frequency rank
- 63675
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | härten | hüten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | transitiv: | aufpassen auf, wobei meist Tiere, aber auch Kinder gemeint sind |
Where the eye mixes härten and hüten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. härten runs 6 letters (CVCCVC) against hüten's 5 (CVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: härten vs hüten
A purely visual mix-up. härten ([ˈhɛʁtn̩]) and hüten ([ˈhyːtn̩]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63675, 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]. hüten is at rank #16,182, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈhyːtn̩].
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 63675, this pair ranks #668,351 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of härten vs hüten
Shared letters: ehnt. Private to "härten": rä. Private to "hüten": ü.
"härten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "hüten" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "härten" for "hüten" ever safe?
Frequency check: "härten" vs "hüten" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "härten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hüten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #668,351 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "härten" and "hüten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "harren vs härten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #668,351 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.