freihalten

[ˈfʁaɪ̯ˌhaltn̩]

/[ˈfʁaɪ̯ˌhaltn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“freihalten” is uncommon German (frequency #56,991 among 45,736 “F” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,991
frequency rank, German
45,736
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas in einem Zustand halten, in dem es durch nichts blockiert wird; jede mögliche Blockade im Ansatz verhindern

Key facts for freihalten
PropertyValue
Headwordfreihalten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈfʁaɪ̯ˌhaltn̩]
Letters10
Frequency rank#56,991
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “freihalten” 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). freihalten lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

freihalten is uncommon German at frequency #56,991 among 45,736 “F” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed [ˈfʁaɪ̯ˌhaltn̩]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for freihalten, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is freihalten, spelled F-R-E-I-H-A-L-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas in einem Zustand halten, in dem es durch nichts blockiert wird; jede mögliche Blockade im Ansatz verhindern
  2. 2
    jemandes Zeche übernehmen

This word in other languages

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 "freihalten"?
"freihalten" is spelled F-R-E-I-H-A-L-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfʁaɪ̯ˌhaltn̩].
What does "freihalten" mean?
As a verb, "freihalten" means: etwas in einem Zustand halten, in dem es durch nichts blockiert wird; jede mögliche Blockade im Ansatz verhindern
How do you pronounce "freihalten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "freihalten" is [ˈfʁaɪ̯ˌhaltn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "freihalten" come from?
"freihalten" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “freihalten”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is F-R-E-I-H-A-L-T-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈfʁaɪ̯ˌhaltn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Other uncommon German words near this rank

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