unterhaltevsunterhaltenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#32,330
“unterhalte” frequency rank
#3,217
“unterhalten” frequency rank
35547
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature unterhalte unterhalten
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs unterhalten etwas aufsagen, vorführen, vorspielen zur Zerstreuung

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set unterhalte and unterhalten apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
unterhalte
11 ch
unterhalten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

unterhalte and unterhalten form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “unterhalte” sits inside “unterhalten” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35547, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

unterhalte is recorded at frequency rank #32,330, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌʊntɐˈhaltə]. unterhalten is at rank #3,217, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˌʊntɐˈhaltn̩].

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 35547, this pair ranks #1,637,369 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

unterhalte#32,330
unterhalten#3,217

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "unterhalte" and "unterhalten" be used interchangeably?
No, "unterhalte" and "unterhalten" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering unterhalte vs unterhalten

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 “unterhalte” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list