MachsvsmackWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#24,036
“Machs” frequency rank
#18,979
“mack” frequency rank
43015
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Machs mack
Definition Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Mach weites Kleidungsstück mit Ärmeln, das mindestens bis zu den Knien reicht und wasserdicht ist

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Machs
4 ch
mack

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Machs ([maxs]) and mack ([mæk]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43015, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Machs is recorded at frequency rank #24,036, classified as anoun, pronounced [maxs]. mack is at rank #18,979, tagged as anoun, pronounced [mæk].

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 43015, this pair ranks #1,431,247 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Machs vs mack

Shared letters: acm. Private to "Machs": hs. Private to "mack": k.

"Machs" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "mack" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Machsamchs · macchs · machhs · machss · macsh · mahcs · mcahs · mmachs
  • mackamck · macck · mackk · makc · mcak · mmack

Frequency comparison

Machs#24,036
mack#18,979

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Machs" and "mack" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([maxs] versus [mæk]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Machs" or "mack"?
"mack" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,979 in our German list, against #24,036 for "Machs". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Machs vs mack

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 “Machs” 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