machenvsmannenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“machen” and “mannen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#104
“machen” frequency rank
#34,797
“mannen” frequency rank
34901
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature machen mannen
Definition in einen bestimmten Zustand versetzen etwas von Mann zu Mann reichen

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
machen
6 ch
mannen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. machen ([ˈmaxn̩]) and mannen ([ˈmanən]) 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 34901, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

machen is recorded at frequency rank #104, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmaxn̩]. mannen is at rank #34,797, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈmanən].

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 34901, this pair ranks #1,652,672 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of machen vs mannen

Shared letters: aemn. Private to "machen": ch. Private to "mannen": -.

"machen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "mannen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • machenamchen · macchen · macehn · machenn · machhen · machne · mahcen · mcahen
  • mannenamnnen · manen · manenn · mannenn · mannne · mmannen · mnanen

Frequency comparison

machen#104
mannen#34,797

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "machen" and "mannen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmaxn̩] versus [ˈmanən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "machen" or "mannen"?
"machen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #104 in our German list, against #34,797 for "mannen". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering machen vs mannen

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “machen” 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