Which to use
“holen” and “hörten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,328
- “holen” frequency rank
- #11,457
- “hörten” frequency rank
- 12785
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | holen | hörten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas oder jemanden herbeischaffen | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs hören |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set holen and hörten 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. holen ([ˈhoːlən]) and hörten ([ˈhøːɐ̯tn̩]) 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 12785, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
holen is recorded at frequency rank #1,328, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈhoːlən]. hörten is at rank #11,457, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈhøːɐ̯tn̩].
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 12785, this pair ranks #1,962,066 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of holen vs hörten
Shared letters: ehn. Private to "holen": lo. Private to "hörten": rtö.
"holen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "hörten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- holen ← hholen · hloen · hoeln · holenn · hollen · holne · ohlen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "holen" and "hörten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "holen" or "hörten"?
Remembering holen vs hörten
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 “holen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable