Which to use
“mache” and “make” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #934
- “mache” frequency rank
- #5,200
- “make” frequency rank
- 6134
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mache | make |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs machen | machen, herstellen |
Where the eye mixes mache and make
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between mache and make
A purely visual mix-up. mache ([ˈmaxə]) and make ([meɪk]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6134, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mache is recorded at frequency rank #934, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmaxə]. make is at rank #5,200, tagged as averb, pronounced [meɪk].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 6134, this pair ranks #1,992,609 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mache vs make
Shared letters: aem. Private to "mache": ch. Private to "make": k.
"mache" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "make" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "mache" for "make" ever safe?
Frequency check: "mache" vs "make" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "mache" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "make" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,992,609 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mache" and "make" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "make vs Matze". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,992,609 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.