machevsMückeWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#934
“mache” frequency rank
#22,075
“Mücke” frequency rank
23009
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mache Mücke
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs machen kleines zweiflügliges Stechinsekt (Diptera, Unterordnung Nematocera), besonders Stechmücke

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mache and Mücke apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
mache
5 ch
Mücke

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: mache is [ˈmaxə] while Mücke is [ˈmʏkə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23009, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mache is recorded at frequency rank #934, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmaxə]. Mücke is at rank #22,075, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmʏkə].

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 23009, this pair ranks #1,866,913 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of mache vs Mücke

Shared letters: cem. Private to "mache": ah. Private to "Mücke": .

"mache" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Mücke" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • macheamche · macche · maceh · machhe · mahce · mcahe · mmache

Frequency comparison

mache#934
Mücke#22,075

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "mache" and "Mücke" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "mache" is a verb and "Mücke" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "mache" or "Mücke"?
"mache" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #934 in our German list, against #22,075 for "Mücke". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering mache vs Mücke

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 “Mücke”.
  • 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