halten

[ˈhaltn̩]

/[ˈhaltn̩]/ verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“halten” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #395 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#395
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas durch Kraftausübung in Ruhe belassen oder bringen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

halten vs hatte
67% similar
halten vs holen
67% similar
halten vs holte
67% similar

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

Key facts for halten
PropertyValue
Headwordhalten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈhaltn̩]
Letters6
Frequency rank#395
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “halten” 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). halten 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 halten is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈhaltn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #395 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for halten, with forms such as "ahlten", "haletn", and "hallten". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "hatte", "holen", "holte", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is halten, spelled H-A-L-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas durch Kraftausübung in Ruhe belassen oder bringen
  2. 2
    einen Status quo bewahren
  3. 3
    im engeren Wirkungsbereich über (ein Lebewesen) bestimmen
  4. 4
    nicht verderben
  5. 5
    etwas/jemanden eine Vermutung anstellen
  6. 6
    einen längeren Vorgang durchführen
  7. 7
    anhalten/stoppen (meist um das Ein- und Aussteigen zu ermöglichen)
  8. 8
    eine Richtlinie befolgen
  9. 9
    etwas/jemanden Bedeutung zumessen
  10. 10
    einen Ball durch den Torwart nicht über die Torlinie lassen
  11. 11
    sich beherrschen, eine Empfindung, Erregung zurückhalten

Synonyms

beibehaltenbelassenbewahrenkonservierenwahrenhälternglaubenvermutenschätzenabfangenabwehrenparieren

Antonyms

fallen lassenerneuernverändernverderbenvergammelnverrotten

This word in other languages

hold(English)tener(Español)tenir(Français)pôr(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ahlten,haletn,hallten,haltenn,haltne,haltten,hatlen,hhalten,hlaten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of halten - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ahlten2haletn2hallten1haltenn1haltne2haltten1hatlen2hhalten1
Edit distance from "halten"

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 "halten"?
"halten" is spelled H-A-L-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈhaltn̩].
What does "halten" mean?
As a verb, "halten" means: etwas durch Kraftausübung in Ruhe belassen oder bringen
What words are commonly confused with "halten"?
"halten" is commonly confused with "hatte", "holen", "holte". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "halten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "halten" is [ˈhaltn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "halten" come from?
"halten" 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 “halten”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is H-A-L-T-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈhaltn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “hatte” - see the side-by-side comparison. halten vs hatte
  • 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