Which to use
“Mädchens” and “Maschen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,485
- “Mädchens” frequency rank
- #23,614
- “Maschen” frequency rank
- 35099
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Mädchens | Maschen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Mädchen | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Masche |
Where the eye mixes Mädchens and Maschen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Mädchens runs 8 letters (CVCCCVCC) against Maschen's 7 (CVCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Mädchens with Maschen
A purely visual mix-up. Mädchens ([ˈmɛːtçəns]) 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 35099, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Mädchens is recorded at frequency rank #11,485, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmɛːtçəns]. 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 35099, this pair ranks #1,648,109 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Mädchens vs Maschen
Shared letters: cehmns. Private to "Mädchens": dä. Private to "Maschen": a.
"Mädchens" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC · "Maschen" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Maschen ← amschen · macshen · mascchen · mascehn · maschenn · maschhen · maschne · mashcen
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Mädchens" and "Maschen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Mädchens" or "Maschen"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Mädchens" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Maschen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,648,109 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Mädchens" and "Maschen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Märsche vs Maschen". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,648,109 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.