Which to use
“zurückgehalten” and “zurückhalten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,588
- “zurückgehalten” frequency rank
- #15,537
- “zurückhalten” frequency rank
- 40125
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zurückgehalten | zurückhalten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs zurückhalten | jemanden oder etwas nicht gehen lassen |
Where the eye mixes zurückgehalten and zurückhalten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 12 letters in sequence. zurückgehalten runs 14 letters (CVCVCCCVCVCCVC) against zurückhalten's 12 (CVCVCCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between zurückgehalten and zurückhalten
A purely visual mix-up. zurückgehalten ([t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌhaltn̩]) and zurückhalten ([t͡suˈʁʏkˌhaltn̩]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40125, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zurückgehalten is recorded at frequency rank #24,588, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌhaltn̩]. zurückhalten is at rank #15,537, tagged as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkˌhaltn̩].
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 40125, this pair ranks #1,517,377 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zurückgehalten vs zurückhalten
Shared letters: acehklnrtuzü. Private to "zurückgehalten": g. Private to "zurückhalten": -.
"zurückgehalten" · 14 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCCVC · "zurückhalten" · 12 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zurückgehalten" and "zurückhalten" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "zurückgehalten" or "zurückhalten" show up more?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "zurückgehalten" and "zurückhalten" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückgehalten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückhalten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,517,377 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zurückgehalten" and "zurückhalten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zurückgehalten vs zurückzuhalten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,517,377 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.