MädchensvsmatchesWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: Mädchens is a noun, matches is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“Mädchens” is a noun and “matches” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#11,485
“Mädchens” frequency rank
#17,983
“matches” frequency rank
29468
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Mädchens matches
Definition Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Mädchen 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs match

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
Mädchens
7 ch
matches

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: Mädchens is anoun and matchesaverb. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29468, 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]. matches is at rank #17,983, tagged as averb, pronounced […].

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 29468, this pair ranks #1,766,263 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Mädchens vs matches

Shared letters: cehms. Private to "Mädchens": dnä. Private to "matches": at.

"Mädchens" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC  ·  "matches" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • matchesamtches · macthes · matcches · matcehs · matchess · matchhes · matchse · mathces

Frequency comparison

Mädchens#11,485
matches#17,983

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Mädchens" and "matches" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "Mädchens" is a noun and "matches" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "Mädchens" or "matches"?
"Mädchens" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,485 in our German list, against #17,983 for "matches". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Mädchens vs matches

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Mädchens”; for a verb, it's “matches”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Mädchens” 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