MaravsmataWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,981
“Mara” frequency rank
#40,084
“mata” frequency rank
59065
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Mara mata
Definition Nagetier, Art der Meerschweinchen, die in Südamerika beheimatet ist Plural des Substantivs mace

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Mara and mata apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
Mara
4 ch
mata

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Mara ([ˈmaːʁa]) and mata ([máːtáː]) 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 - r in “Mara” becomes t in “mata”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59065, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Mara is recorded at frequency rank #18,981, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmaːʁa]. mata is at rank #40,084, tagged as anoun, pronounced [máːtáː].

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 59065, this pair ranks #838,683 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Mara vs mata

Shared letters: am. Private to "Mara": r. Private to "mata": t.

"Mara" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "mata" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Maraamra · maar · marra · mmara · mraa
  • mataamta · maat · matta · mmata · mtaa

Frequency comparison

Mara#18,981
mata#40,084

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Mara" and "mata" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmaːʁa] versus [máːtáː]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Mara" or "mata"?
"Mara" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,981 in our German list, against #40,084 for "mata". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Mara vs mata

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 “Mara” 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