unterhalten

[ˌʊntɐˈhaltn̩]

/[ˌʊntɐˈhaltn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

“unterhalten” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #3,217 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#3,217
frequency rank, German
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas aufsagen, vorführen, vorspielen zur Zerstreuung

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

unterhalten vs Unterhaltung
75% similar
unterhalten vs unterhielten
83% similar
unterhalten vs Unterhalt
73% similar

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

Key facts for unterhalten
PropertyValue
Headwordunterhalten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˌʊntɐˈhaltn̩]
Letters11
Frequency rank#3,217
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “unterhalten” 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). unterhalten 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 unterhalten is 11 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˌʊntɐˈhaltn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #3,217 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for unterhalten, with forms such as "nuterhalten", "unetrhalten", and "unnterhalten". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "Unterhaltung", "unterhielten", "Unterhalt", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is unterhalten, spelled U-N-T-E-R-H-A-L-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas aufsagen, vorführen, vorspielen zur Zerstreuung
  2. 2
    mit jemandem reden, sich etwas erzählen
  3. 3
    sich amüsieren, zerstreuen
  4. 4
    Unterhalt zahlen, jemanden unterstützen
  5. 5
    etwas aufrechterhalten, pflegen

This word in other languages

entertain(English)divertir(Español)tenir(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: nuterhalten,unetrhalten,unnterhalten,untehralten,unterahlten,unterhaletn,unterhallten,unterhaltenn,unterhaltne,unterhaltten,unterhatlen,unterhhalten,unterhlaten,unterrhalten,untrehalten,untterhalten,utnerhalten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

nuterhalten2unetrhalten2unnterhalten1untehralten2unterahlten2unterhaletn2unterhallten1unterhaltenn1
Edit distance from "unterhalten"

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 "unterhalten"?
"unterhalten" is spelled U-N-T-E-R-H-A-L-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌʊntɐˈhaltn̩].
What does "unterhalten" mean?
As a verb, "unterhalten" means: etwas aufsagen, vorführen, vorspielen zur Zerstreuung
What words are commonly confused with "unterhalten"?
"unterhalten" is commonly confused with "Unterhaltung", "unterhielten", "Unterhalt". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unterhalten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unterhalten" is [ˌʊntɐˈhaltn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "unterhalten" come from?
"unterhalten" 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 “unterhalten”

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

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