Which to use
“holde” is an adjective and “holten” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #45,352
- “holde” frequency rank
- #14,832
- “holten” frequency rank
- 60184
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | holde | holten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs hold | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs holen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set holde and holten apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: holde is [ˈhɔldə] while holten is [ˈhoːltn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60184, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
holde is recorded at frequency rank #45,352, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈhɔldə]. holten is at rank #14,832, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈhoːltn̩].
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 60184, this pair ranks #796,432 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of holde vs holten
Shared letters: ehlo. Private to "holde": d. Private to "holten": nt.
"holde" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "holten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "holde" and "holten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "holde" or "holten"?
Remembering holde vs holten
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “holde”; for a verb, it's “holten”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “holde” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable