halten

[ˈhaltn̩]

/[ˈhaltn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

“halten” has 9 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #395. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#395
frequency rank, German
3,372
“H” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - etwas durch Kraftausübung in Ruhe belassen oder bringen

Corpus desk

Index DE-halten · halten · German

halten · rank #395 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #395
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,372
  • PHOTO-FINISH echt

Nearest frequency peer: echt (-1 rank slots)

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “halten”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “halten” sits against the nearest ranked German headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

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.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around halten (IPA [ˈhaltn̩]), averb. Corpus frequency is #395 among 3,372 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how halten appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Ich halte dich fest im Arm.
  2. „Er hielt einen Rohrstock in der Hand, den er durch die Luft sausen ließ, als er uns an der Tür entdeckte.“

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

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.

Similar German words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "halten", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked German headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

direkt#393Schule#397dessen#392solche#398

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

kleinen9 variantsanders9 variantshinter9 variantsbleiben9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "halten". Here's where to go from here.

  • "halten" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "hatte". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #395 among German headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more German words in the "H" letter cohort. H–Z browse

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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