anhalten

[ˈanˌhaltn̩]

/[ˈanˌhaltn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“anhalten” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #9,139 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#9,139
frequency rank, German
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - jemanden zu etwas ermahnen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

anhalten vs Anwälte
50% similar
anhalten vs Annalen
63% similar
anhalten vs Anhalts
63% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for anhalten
PropertyValue
Headwordanhalten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈanˌhaltn̩]
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,139
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “anhalten” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). anhalten lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for anhalten is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈanˌhaltn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #9,139 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for anhalten, with forms such as "ahnalten", "anahlten", and "anhaletn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 18 confusable-pair relationships, "Anwälte", "Annalen", "Anhalts", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is anhalten, spelled A-N-H-A-L-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    jemanden zu etwas ermahnen
  2. 2
    etwas, jemanden zum Stillstand bringen, stoppen
  3. 3
    etwas (an etwas) anlegen (z. B. ein Lineal)
  4. 4
    stehenbleiben, zum Stillstand kommen
  5. 5
    andauern
  6. 6
    sich um etwas bewerben, um etwas bitten
  7. 7
    sich wegen der Stabilität oder der Sicherheit mit der Hand an etwas oder jemanden klammern

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ahnalten,anahlten,anhaletn,anhallten,anhaltenn,anhaltne,anhaltten,anhatlen,anhhalten,anhlaten,annhalten,nahalten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of anhalten - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ahnalten2anahlten2anhaletn2anhallten1anhaltenn1anhaltne2anhaltten1anhatlen2
Edit distance from "anhalten"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "anhalten"?
"anhalten" is spelled A-N-H-A-L-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈanˌhaltn̩].
What does "anhalten" mean?
As a verb, "anhalten" means: jemanden zu etwas ermahnen
What words are commonly confused with "anhalten"?
"anhalten" is commonly confused with "Anwälte", "Annalen", "Anhalts". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "anhalten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "anhalten" is [ˈanˌhaltn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "anhalten" come from?
"anhalten" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “anhalten”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is A-N-H-A-L-T-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈanˌhaltn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Anwälte” - see the side-by-side comparison. anhalten vs Anwälte
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list