MachtvsMackeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#134
“Macht” frequency rank
#34,248
“Macke” frequency rank
34382
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Macht Macke
Definition Fähigkeit, auf andere Einfluss ausüben zu können, auch gegen deren Willen sonderbare Eigenart

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Macht
5 ch
Macke

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Macht ([maxt]) and Macke ([ˈmakə]) 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 34382, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Macht is recorded at frequency rank #134, classified as anoun, pronounced [maxt]. Macke is at rank #34,248, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmakə].

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 34382, this pair ranks #1,664,601 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Macht vs Macke

Shared letters: acm. Private to "Macht": ht. Private to "Macke": ek.

"Macht" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "Macke" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Machtamcht · maccht · machht · machtt · macth · mahct · mcaht · mmacht
  • Mackeamcke · maccke · macek · mackke · makce · mcake · mmacke

Frequency comparison

Macht#134
Macke#34,248

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Macht" and "Macke" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([maxt] versus [ˈmakə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Macht" or "Macke"?
"Macht" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #134 in our German list, against #34,248 for "Macke". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Macht vs Macke

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 “Macht” 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