mächtigenvsmächtigerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#7,507
“mächtigen” frequency rank
#14,367
“mächtiger” frequency rank
21874
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mächtigen mächtiger
Definition Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs mächtig Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs mächtig

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
mächtigen
9 ch
mächtiger

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

mächtigen and mächtiger form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - n in “mächtigen” becomes r in “mächtiger” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21874, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mächtigen is recorded at frequency rank #7,507, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈmɛçtɪɡn̩]. mächtiger is at rank #14,367, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈmɛçtɪɡɐ].

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 21874, this pair ranks #1,881,120 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

mächtigen#7,507
mächtiger#14,367

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "mächtigen" and "mächtiger" be used interchangeably?
No, "mächtigen" and "mächtiger" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering mächtigen vs mächtiger

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 “mächtigen” 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