Which to use
“machen” is a verb and “Mädchens” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #104
- “machen” frequency rank
- #11,485
- “Mädchens” frequency rank
- 11589
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | machen | Mädchens |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | in einen bestimmten Zustand versetzen | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Mädchen |
Where the eye mixes machen and Mädchens
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. machen runs 6 letters (CVCCVC) against Mädchens's 8 (CVCCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses machen with Mädchens
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: machen is [ˈmaxn̩] while Mädchens is [ˈmɛːtçəns]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 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 11589, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
machen is recorded at frequency rank #104, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmaxn̩]. Mädchens is at rank #11,485, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmɛːtçəns].
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 11589, this pair ranks #1,969,041 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of machen vs Mädchens
Shared letters: cehmn. Private to "machen": a. Private to "Mädchens": dsä.
"machen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "Mädchens" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- machen ← amchen · macchen · macehn · machenn · machhen · machne · mahcen · mcahen
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "machen" for "Mädchens" ever safe?
Which is more common, "machen" or "Mädchens"?
What to do next
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 "Mädchens" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,969,041 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "machen" and "Mädchens" 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 #1,969,041 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.