Which to use
“mahlen” and “mahnen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #37,068
- “mahlen” frequency rank
- #32,659
- “mahnen” frequency rank
- 69727
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mahlen | mahnen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Material (mit einer Mühle) zerkleinern, indem es gerieben und gequetscht wird | eindringlich zu einem bestimmten, als erforderlich erachteten Handeln und Benehmen auffordern, drängen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mahlen and mahnen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. mahlen ([ˈmaːlən]) and mahnen ([ˈmaːnən]) 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 a single letter - l in “mahlen” becomes n in “mahnen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 69727, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mahlen is recorded at frequency rank #37,068, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmaːlən]. mahnen is at rank #32,659, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈmaːnən].
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 69727, this pair ranks #467,756 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of mahlen vs mahnen
Shared letters: aehmn. Private to "mahlen": l. Private to "mahnen": -.
"mahlen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "mahnen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mahlen" and "mahnen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mahlen" or "mahnen"?
Remembering mahlen vs mahnen
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 “mahlen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable