Which to use
“Vorhaben” and “Vorhalten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,575
- “Vorhaben” frequency rank
- #29,411
- “Vorhalten” frequency rank
- 33986
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Vorhaben | Vorhalten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | das, was verwirklicht werden soll | Dativ Plural des Substantivs Vorhalt |
Where the eye mixes Vorhaben and Vorhalten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. Vorhaben runs 8 letters (CVCCVCVC) against Vorhalten's 9 (CVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Vorhaben and Vorhalten
A purely visual mix-up. Vorhaben ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌhaːbn̩]) and Vorhalten ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌhaltn̩]) 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 33986, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Vorhaben is recorded at frequency rank #4,575, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌhaːbn̩]. Vorhalten is at rank #29,411, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌhaltn̩].
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 33986, this pair ranks #1,673,614 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Vorhaben vs Vorhalten
Shared letters: aehnorv. Private to "Vorhaben": b. Private to "Vorhalten": lt.
"Vorhaben" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "Vorhalten" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Vorhaben" for "Vorhalten" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Vorhaben" or "Vorhalten"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Vorhaben" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Vorhalten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,673,614 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Vorhaben" and "Vorhalten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Vorhalten vs vorhatte". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,673,614 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.