Which to use
“machen” and “machte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #104
- “machen” frequency rank
- #780
- “machte” frequency rank
- 884
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | machen | machte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | in einen bestimmten Zustand versetzen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs machen |
Where the eye mixes machen and machte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. machen ([ˈmaxn̩]) and machte ([ˈmaxtə]) 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 884, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
machen is recorded at frequency rank #104, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmaxn̩]. machte is at rank #780, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈmaxtə].
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 884, this pair ranks #2,005,208 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of machen vs machte
Shared letters: acehm. Private to "machen": n. Private to "machte": t.
"machen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "machte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV