Which to use
“mähen” is a verb and “Märchen” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #27,426
- “mähen” frequency rank
- #4,453
- “Märchen” frequency rank
- 31879
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mähen | Märchen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mit der Sense, Sichel, mit einer Mähmaschine Pflanzen bis zum Ansatz dicht über dem Erdboden wegschneiden | auf mündlicher Überlieferung beruhende, kurze Erzählung, oft mit fantastischen und wunderbaren Begebenheiten |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mähen and Märchen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: mähen is [ˈmɛːən] while Märchen is [ˈmɛːɐ̯çən]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31879, 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]. Märchen is at rank #4,453, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmɛːɐ̯çən].
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 31879, this pair ranks #1,719,184 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of mähen vs Märchen
Shared letters: ehmnä. Private to "mähen": -. Private to "Märchen": cr.
"mähen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "Märchen" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mähen" and "Märchen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mähen" or "Märchen"?
Remembering mähen vs Märchen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “mähen”; for a noun, it's “Märchen”.
- 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