mächtigevsmächtigsteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#9,952
“mächtige” frequency rank
#25,679
“mächtigste” frequency rank
35631
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mächtige mächtigste
Definition Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs mächtig Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Superlativs des Adjektivs mächtig

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mächtige and mächtigste apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
mächtige
10 ch
mächtigste

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. mächtige ([ˈmɛçtɪɡə]) and mächtigste ([ˈmɛçtɪçstə]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35631, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mächtige is recorded at frequency rank #9,952, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈmɛçtɪɡə]. mächtigste is at rank #25,679, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈmɛçtɪçstə].

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 35631, this pair ranks #1,635,395 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of mächtige vs mächtigste

Shared letters: ceghimtä. Private to "mächtige": -. Private to "mächtigste": s.

"mächtige" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV  ·  "mächtigste" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCCV

Frequency comparison

mächtige#9,952
mächtigste#25,679

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "mächtige" and "mächtigste" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmɛçtɪɡə] versus [ˈmɛçtɪçstə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "mächtige" or "mächtigste"?
"mächtige" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,952 in our German list, against #25,679 for "mächtigste". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering mächtige vs mächtigste

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 “mächtige” 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