MackenvsMaschenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#31,672
“Macken” frequency rank
#23,614
“Maschen” frequency rank
55286
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Macken Maschen
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Macke Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Masche

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Macken and Maschen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Macken
7 ch
Maschen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Macken ([ˈmakn̩]) and Maschen ([ˈmaʃn̩]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 55286, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Macken is recorded at frequency rank #31,672, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmakn̩]. Maschen is at rank #23,614, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmaʃn̩].

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 55286, this pair ranks #985,505 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Macken vs Maschen

Shared letters: acemn. Private to "Macken": k. Private to "Maschen": hs.

"Macken" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Maschen" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Mackenamcken · maccken · macekn · mackenn · mackken · mackne · makcen · mcaken
  • Maschenamschen · macshen · mascchen · mascehn · maschenn · maschhen · maschne · mashcen

Frequency comparison

Macken#31,672
Maschen#23,614

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Macken" and "Maschen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmakn̩] versus [ˈmaʃn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Macken" or "Maschen"?
"Maschen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #23,614 in our German list, against #31,672 for "Macken". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Macken vs Maschen

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 “Macken” 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