Mädel vs Mädels, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#9,596
“Mädel” frequency rank: #3,910
“Mädels” frequency rank: 13506
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Mädel	Mädels
Definition	Mädchen	Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Mädel

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch

Mädel

6 ch

Mädels

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Mädel ([ˈmɛːdl̩]) and Mädels ([ˈmɛːdl̩s]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Mädel” sits inside “Mädels”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13506, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Mädel is recorded at frequency rank #9,596, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmɛːdl̩]. Mädels is at rank #3,910, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmɛːdl̩s].

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 13506, this pair ranks #1,957,542 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Mädel vs Mädels

Shared letters: delmä. Private to "Mädel": -. Private to "Mädels": s.

"Mädel" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "Mädels" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC

Frequency comparison

Mädel#9,596

Mädels#3,910

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Mädel" and "Mädels" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([ˈmɛːdl̩] versus [ˈmɛːdl̩s]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "Mädel" or "Mädels"?

"Mädels" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,910 in our German list, against #9,596 for "Mädel". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Mädel vs Mädels

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 “Mädel” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable