mächtigervsmächtigesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#14,367
“mächtiger” frequency rank
#37,689
“mächtiges” frequency rank
52056
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mächtiger mächtiges
Definition Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs mächtig Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs mächtig

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
mächtiger
9 ch
mächtiges

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. mächtiger ([ˈmɛçtɪɡɐ]) and mächtiges ([ˈmɛçtɪɡəs]) 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 a single letter - r in “mächtiger” becomes s in “mächtiges”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52056, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mächtiger is recorded at frequency rank #14,367, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈmɛçtɪɡɐ]. mächtiges is at rank #37,689, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈmɛçtɪɡəs].

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 52056, this pair ranks #1,111,664 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of mächtiger vs mächtiges

Shared letters: ceghimtä. Private to "mächtiger": r. Private to "mächtiges": s.

"mächtiger" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC  ·  "mächtiges" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC

Frequency comparison

mächtiger#14,367
mächtiges#37,689

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "mächtiger" and "mächtiges" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmɛçtɪɡɐ] versus [ˈmɛçtɪɡəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "mächtiger" or "mächtiges"?
"mächtiger" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,367 in our German list, against #37,689 for "mächtiges". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering mächtiger vs mächtiges

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 “mächtiger” 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