möchtenvsMottenWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: möchten is a verb, Motten is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“möchten” is a verb and “Motten” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#1,399
“möchten” frequency rank
#34,271
“Motten” frequency rank
35670
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature möchten Motten
Definition den Wunsch nach etwas hegen Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Motte

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set möchten and Motten apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
möchten
6 ch
Motten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: möchten is [ˈmœçtn̩] while Motten is [ˈmɔtn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 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 35670, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

möchten is recorded at frequency rank #1,399, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmœçtn̩]. Motten is at rank #34,271, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmɔtn̩].

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 35670, this pair ranks #1,634,388 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of möchten vs Motten

Shared letters: emnt. Private to "möchten": chö. Private to "Motten": o.

"möchten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC  ·  "Motten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Mottenmmotten · moten · motetn · mottenn · mottne · mtoten · omtten

Frequency comparison

möchten#1,399
Motten#34,271

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "möchten" and "Motten" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "möchten" is a verb and "Motten" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "möchten" or "Motten"?
"möchten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,399 in our German list, against #34,271 for "Motten". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering möchten vs Motten

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “möchten”; for a noun, it's “Motten”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “möchten” 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