# Mach

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /mɑːk/ · frequency rank #20,990

## Definitions
1. A surname from Czech.
2. Ernst Mach, Austrian physicist (1838–1916), born in Moravia (now Czech Republic).

## Etymology
* As a Polish, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, and Lower Sorbian surname, from pet forms produced by truncation of personal names beginning with Ma- such as Matej, Martin, or Maciej, and the addition of the Slavic suffix -ch.
* As a Jewish surname, from German Mache (“work”).
* Less commonly, a respelling of Hungarian Mács, a pet form of names corresponding to Matthew.
* In some cases, from Vietnamese (Mạch, itself from the Chinese name 麥 /麦) or Cambodian, from Khmer ម៉ាច (maac).

## Easily confused with
- **MC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mc)
- **MH** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mh)
- **may** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-may)
- **man** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-man)
- **map** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-map)
- **mad** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mad)
- **max** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-max)
- **mar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mar)
- **mph** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mph)
- **mat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mat)
- **mic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mic)
- **mag** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mag)
- **mao** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mao)
- **mal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mal)
- **mai** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mai)
- **meh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-meh)
- **mah** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mah)
- **mam** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mam)
- **mak** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mak)
- **Mau** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mach-vs-mau)

## Common misspellings (6)
`amch`, `macch`, `machh`, `mahc`, `mcah`, `mmach`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mach