Which to use
“may” and “mme” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,282
- “may” frequency rank
- #46,851
- “mme” frequency rank
- 52133
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | may | mme |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | fünfter Monat im Kalenderjahr; Mai | Mutter |
Where the eye mixes may and mme
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between may and mme
A purely visual mix-up. may ([mɑj]) and mme ([m̩mɛ]) 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 52133, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
may is recorded at frequency rank #5,282, classified as anoun, pronounced [mɑj]. mme is at rank #46,851, tagged as anoun, pronounced [m̩mɛ].
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 52133, this pair ranks #1,108,753 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of may vs mme
Shared letters: m. Private to "may": ay. Private to "mme": e.
"may" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "mme" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "may" for "mme" ever safe?
Frequency check: "may" vs "mme" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "may" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mme" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,108,753 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "may" and "mme" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Memel vs mme". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,108,753 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.