Which to use
“matt” and “mau” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,281
- “matt” frequency rank
- #17,357
- “mau” frequency rank
- 22638
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | matt | mau |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mit Anzeichen von Ermüdung oder Erschöpfung, mitnichten lebhaft oder rege | sich nicht ganz wohl fühlend |
Where the eye mixes matt and mau
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses matt with mau
A purely visual mix-up. matt ([mat]) and mau ([maʊ̯]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22638, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
matt is recorded at frequency rank #5,281, classified as anadj, pronounced [mat]. mau is at rank #17,357, tagged as anadj, pronounced [maʊ̯].
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 22638, this pair ranks #1,871,666 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of matt vs mau
Shared letters: am. Private to "matt": t. Private to "mau": u.
"matt" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "mau" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- matt ← amtt · mat · mmatt · mtat
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "matt" and "mau" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "matt" vs "mau" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "matt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mau" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,871,666 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "matt" and "mau" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Mals vs mau". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,871,666 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.