Which to use
“mache” and “malle” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #934
- “mache” frequency rank
- #31,674
- “malle” frequency rank
- 32608
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mache | malle |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs machen | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs mallen |
Where the eye mixes mache and malle
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: mache vs malle
A purely visual mix-up. mache ([ˈmaxə]) and malle ([ˈmalə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32608, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mache is recorded at frequency rank #934, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmaxə]. malle is at rank #31,674, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈmalə].
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 32608, this pair ranks #1,703,982 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mache vs malle
Shared letters: aem. Private to "mache": ch. Private to "malle": l.
"mache" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "malle" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "mache" and "malle" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "mache" vs "malle" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
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 "malle" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,703,982 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mache" and "malle" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mailen vs malle". 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 #1,703,982 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.