machevsMatheWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: mache is a verb, Mathe is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“mache” is a verb and “Mathe” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#934
“mache” frequency rank
#5,624
“Mathe” frequency rank
6558
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mache Mathe
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs machen (das Schulfach) Mathematik

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mache and Mathe apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
mache
5 ch
Mathe

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

mache and Mathe form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - c in “mache” becomes t in “Mathe” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6558, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mache is recorded at frequency rank #934, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmaxə]. Mathe is at rank #5,624, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmatə].

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 6558, this pair ranks #1,991,225 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

mache#934
Mathe#5,624

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "mache" and "Mathe" be used interchangeably?
No, "mache" and "Mathe" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering mache vs Mathe

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “mache”; for a noun, it's “Mathe”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “mache” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list