Which to use
“machen” is a verb and “Mädchen” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #104
- “machen” frequency rank
- #534
- “Mädchen” frequency rank
- 638
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | machen | Mädchen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | in einen bestimmten Zustand versetzen | weibliches Kind |
Where the eye mixes machen and Mädchen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between machen and Mädchen
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: machen is [ˈmaxn̩] while Mädchen is [ˈmɛːtçən]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 638, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
machen is recorded at frequency rank #104, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmaxn̩]. Mädchen is at rank #534, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmɛːtçən].
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 638, this pair ranks #2,005,575 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of machen vs Mädchen
Shared letters: cehmn. Private to "machen": a. Private to "Mädchen": dä.
"machen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "Mädchen" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- machen ← amchen · macchen · macehn · machenn · machhen · machne · mahcen · mcahen
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "machen" and "Mädchen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "machen" or "Mädchen"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "machen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Mädchen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,005,575 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "machen" and "Mädchen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "machen vs mailen". 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 #2,005,575 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.