festmachen

[ˈfɛstˌmaxn̩]

/[ˈfɛstˌmaxn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“festmachen” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #35,180 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#35,180
frequency rank, German
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - vor dem Abfallen, Runterrutschen, Wegblasen oder Ähnlichem sichern; etwas befestigen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

festmachen vs festlichen
80% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for festmachen
PropertyValue
Headwordfestmachen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈfɛstˌmaxn̩]
Letters10
Frequency rank#35,180
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “festmachen” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). festmachen lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for festmachen is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈfɛstˌmaxn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #35,180 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for festmachen, with forms such as "efstmachen", "fesmtachen", and "fesstmachen". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "festlichen", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is festmachen, spelled F-E-S-T-M-A-C-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    vor dem Abfallen, Runterrutschen, Wegblasen oder Ähnlichem sichern; etwas befestigen
  2. 2
    ernsthaft vereinbaren
  3. 3
    gedanklich in einen (ursächlichen) Zusammenhang bringen
  4. 4
    mit Tauen vor dem Abtreiben sichern

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: efstmachen,fesmtachen,fesstmachen,festamchen,festmacchen,festmacehn,festmachenn,festmachhen,festmachne,festmahcen,festmcahen,festmmachen,festtmachen,fetsmachen,ffestmachen,fsetmachen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of festmachen - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

efstmachen2fesmtachen2fesstmachen1festamchen2festmacchen1festmacehn2festmachenn1festmachhen1
Edit distance from "festmachen"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "festmachen"?
"festmachen" is spelled F-E-S-T-M-A-C-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfɛstˌmaxn̩].
What does "festmachen" mean?
As a verb, "festmachen" means: vor dem Abfallen, Runterrutschen, Wegblasen oder Ähnlichem sichern; etwas befestigen
What words are commonly confused with "festmachen"?
"festmachen" is commonly confused with "festlichen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "festmachen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "festmachen" is [ˈfɛstˌmaxn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "festmachen" come from?
"festmachen" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “festmachen”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is F-E-S-T-M-A-C-H-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈfɛstˌmaxn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “festlichen” - see the side-by-side comparison. festmachen vs festlichen
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list