Which to use
“mähen” and “malen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #27,426
- “mähen” frequency rank
- #5,735
- “malen” frequency rank
- 33161
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mähen | malen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mit der Sense, Sichel, mit einer Mähmaschine Pflanzen bis zum Ansatz dicht über dem Erdboden wegschneiden | mit Farbe bestreichen, anstreichen; mit Farbe bunt verzieren |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mähen and malen apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. mähen ([ˈmɛːən]) and malen ([ˈmaːlən]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33161, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mähen is recorded at frequency rank #27,426, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmɛːən]. malen is at rank #5,735, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈmaːlən].
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 33161, this pair ranks #1,691,972 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mähen vs malen
Shared letters: emn. Private to "mähen": hä. Private to "malen": al.
"mähen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "malen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- malen ← amlen · maeln · malenn · mallen · malne · mlaen · mmalen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mähen" and "malen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mähen" or "malen"?
Remembering mähen vs malen
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 “mähen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable