machen

[ˈmaxn̩]

/[ˈmaxn̩]/ verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“machen” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #104 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#104
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - in einen bestimmten Zustand versetzen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

machen vs Macht
50% similar
machen vs Magen
50% similar
machen vs Mathe
50% similar

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

Key facts for machen
PropertyValue
Headwordmachen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈmaxn̩]
Letters6
Frequency rank#104
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “machen” 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). machen 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 machen is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈmaxn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #104 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 20 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for machen, with forms such as "amchen", "macchen", and "macehn". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Macht", "Magen", "Mathe", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is machen, spelled M-A-C-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    in einen bestimmten Zustand versetzen
  2. 2
    herstellen, produzieren, anfertigen
  3. 3
    veranlassen, früher auch mit Infinitiv
  4. 4
    tun, tätigen, handeln, ausführen, erledigen
  5. 5
    koten oder urinieren
  6. 6
    einfüllen, auffüllen
  7. 7
    den Wohnort wechseln, vom Wohnort wegziehen
  8. 8
    koitieren, Sex haben
  9. 9
    verursachen, hervorrufen
  10. 10
    durch geschäftliche Tätigkeiten verdienen
  11. 11
    eine meist positive Entwicklung nehmen; sich aufwärts entwickeln, wachsen
  12. 12
    eine bestimmte Rolle übernehmen
  13. 13
    etwas oder jemanden mimen, eine bestimmte Haltung nach außen hin einnehmen
  14. 14
    sich in eine bestimmte Umgebung gut einfügen, gut irgendwohin passen
  15. 15
    sich auf einem bestimmten Geschäftsfeld betätigen
  16. 16
    eine bestimmte Summe Geldes betragen
  17. 17
    ergeben
  18. 18
    den nachfolgend umschriebenen Laut von sich geben
  19. 19
    gehen
  20. 20
    ein Tor erzielen

Synonyms

anfertigenarbeiten anausarbeitenbastelnbauenerschaffenerstellenerzeugenfabrizierenfertigengestaltenherstellenschaffenverarbeitenverfertigenantreibenanregenauslösenbefehlenbestimmenbewerkstelligenbewirkeneinfädelninitiierennötigenveranlassensorgenlassensorgen fürarbeitenerledigenschaffenbefassenbeschäftigenwidmentunverstehenerleichternkotendefäzierenharnenurinierengebenhineingebenfüllenauffülleneinfüllentundrauftunhineintunfortmachengehenumziehenweggehenwegziehenauswandernfliehenflüchten

Antonyms

unterlassenverschießen

This word in other languages

make(English)hacer(Español)faire(Français)fazer(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amchen,macchen,macehn,machenn,machhen,machne,mahcen,mcahen,mmachen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of machen - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

amchen2macchen1macehn2machenn1machhen1machne2mahcen2mcahen2
Edit distance from "machen"

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 "machen"?
"machen" is spelled M-A-C-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈmaxn̩].
What does "machen" mean?
As a verb, "machen" means: in einen bestimmten Zustand versetzen
What words are commonly confused with "machen"?
"machen" is commonly confused with "Macht", "Magen", "Mathe". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "machen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "machen" is [ˈmaxn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "machen" come from?
"machen" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “machen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is M-A-C-H-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈmaxn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Macht” - see the side-by-side comparison. machen vs Macht
  • 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