mächtigvsmächtigeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,914
“mächtig” frequency rank
#9,952
“mächtige” frequency rank
14866
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mächtig mächtige
Definition über Einfluss verfügend, Macht habend Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs mächtig

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mächtig and mächtige apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
mächtig
8 ch
mächtige

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. mächtig ([ˈmɛçtɪç]) and mächtige ([ˈmɛçtɪɡə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “mächtig” sits inside “mächtige”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14866, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mächtig is recorded at frequency rank #4,914, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈmɛçtɪç]. mächtige is at rank #9,952, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈmɛçtɪɡə].

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 14866, this pair ranks #1,948,164 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of mächtig vs mächtige

Shared letters: cghimtä. Private to "mächtig": -. Private to "mächtige": e.

"mächtig" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC  ·  "mächtige" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV

Frequency comparison

mächtig#4,914
mächtige#9,952

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "mächtig" and "mächtige" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmɛçtɪç] versus [ˈmɛçtɪɡə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "mächtig" or "mächtige"?
"mächtig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,914 in our German list, against #9,952 for "mächtige". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering mächtig vs mächtige

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 “mächtig” 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