Hinterhalt

[ˈhɪntɐˌhalt]

/[ˈhɪntɐˌhalt]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Hinterhalt” has 16 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #28,250. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,250
frequency rank, German
59,066
“H” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Versteck, von dem aus man jemandem (zumeist einen Gegner, in feindlicher Absicht) auflauert, um diesen überraschend (eigentlich hinterrücks) anzugreifen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Hinterhalt vs hinterhältig
67% similar

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

Key facts for Hinterhalt
PropertyValue
HeadwordHinterhalt
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈhɪntɐˌhalt]
Letters10
Frequency rank#28,250
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Hinterhalt” 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). Hinterhalt 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 16 spelling variants around Hinterhalt (IPA [ˈhɪntɐˌhalt]), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,250 among 59,066 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for Hinterhalt, with forms such as "hhinterhalt", "hinetrhalt", and "hinnterhalt". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "hinterhältig", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Hinterhalt, spelled H-I-N-T-E-R-H-A-L-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Versteck, von dem aus man jemandem (zumeist einen Gegner, in feindlicher Absicht) auflauert, um diesen überraschend (eigentlich hinterrücks) anzugreifen
  2. 2
    Ort, an dem jemand von einem oder mehreren Anderen, die aus dem Versteck urplötzlich und unerwartet hervorbrechen, überfallen wird
  3. 3
    jemandes Art und Weise beziehungsweise Verhalten, sich im Hintergrund zu halten
  4. 4
    feste (moralische) Unterstützung
  5. 5
    einer Äußerung, Handlung zugrunde liegende/r, heimliche/r (arglistige/r) Absicht/Gedanke, die/der nicht ausgesprochen wird

Synonyms

EmbuscadeZurückhaltungRückhaltHintergedanke

This word in other languages

ambush(English)embuscade(Français)cilada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhinterhalt,hinetrhalt,hinnterhalt,hintehralt,hinterahlt,hinterhallt,hinterhaltt,hinterhatl,hinterhhalt,hinterhlat,hinterrhalt,hintrehalt,hintterhalt,hitnerhalt,hniterhalt,ihnterhalt

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Hinterhalt - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

hhinterhalt1hinetrhalt2hinnterhalt1hintehralt2hinterahlt2hinterhallt1hinterhaltt1hinterhatl2
Edit distance from "Hinterhalt"

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 "Hinterhalt"?
"Hinterhalt" is spelled H-I-N-T-E-R-H-A-L-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈhɪntɐˌhalt].
What does "Hinterhalt" mean?
As a noun, "Hinterhalt" means: Versteck, von dem aus man jemandem (zumeist einen Gegner, in feindlicher Absicht) auflauert, um diesen überraschend (eigentlich hinterrücks) anzugreifen
What words are commonly confused with "Hinterhalt"?
"Hinterhalt" is commonly confused with "hinterhältig". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Hinterhalt"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Hinterhalt" is [ˈhɪntɐˌhalt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Hinterhalt" come from?
"Hinterhalt" 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 “Hinterhalt”

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

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

Same frequency band

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