abhalten

\ˈapˌhaltn̩\

/\ˈapˌhaltn̩\/ verb

The verdict

“abhalten” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Empêcher.

Corpus desk

Index FR-abhalten · abhalten · French

abhalten · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for abhalten
PropertyValue
Headwordabhalten
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\ˈapˌhaltn̩\
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « abhalten » en français

abhaltensiège au-delà des 100.000 formes les plus fréquentes du français, dans la traîne du lexique spécialisé ou peu usité.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

abhalten is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed \ˈapˌhaltn̩\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

abhalten has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

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 French form is abhalten, spelled A-B-H-A-L-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Empêcher.
  2. 2
    Tenir à distance, à l’écart.
  3. 3
    Organiser, tenir, faire passer.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Schon einmal befand sich Miles Routledge in einer heiklen Situation in Afghanistan, (...) Was ihn aber nicht davon abhielt, erneut nach Afghanistan zu reisen - trotz der strikten Reisewarnung, die auch die Regierung in London ausgesprochen hat.
  2. Die Luftgitarren-WM ist aber nicht der einzige kuriose Wettbewerb, der in Finnland abgehalten wird. So findet im Ort Sonkajärvi jedes Jahr die Weltmeisterschaft im Frauentragen statt. Es gewinnt, wer am schnellsten seine Partnerin oder seinen Partner durch einen Hindernisparcours trägt. Das siegreiche Paar erhält das Gewicht der getragenen Person in Bier.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "abhalten"?
"abhalten" is spelled A-B-H-A-L-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈapˌhaltn̩\.
What does "abhalten" mean?
As a verb, "abhalten" means: Empêcher.
How do you pronounce "abhalten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abhalten" is \ˈapˌhaltn̩\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "abhalten" come from?
"abhalten" is a French 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list