Which to use
“mach” and “mate” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #35,130
- “mach” frequency rank
- #3,719
- “mate” frequency rank
- 38849
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mach | mate |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Medida de velocidad relativa que se define como el cociente entre la velocidad de un objeto y la velocidad del sonido en el medio en que se mueve dicho objeto. | Infusión de yerba mate consumida como bebida estimulante. Tradicionalmente, se sirve en un pote hecho de calabaza seca y se bebe con una bombilla metálica. Es común en la gastronomía de Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay, Uruguay y Bolivia (Tarija). |
Where the eye mixes mach and mate
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. mach (CVCC) and mate (CVCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between mach and mate
A purely visual mix-up. mach ([ˈmat͡ʃ]) and mate ([ˈmat̪e]) 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 38849, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mach is recorded at frequency rank #35,130, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmat͡ʃ]. mate is at rank #3,719, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmat̪e].
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 38849, this pair ranks #167,760 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of mach vs mate
Shared letters: am. Private to "mach": ch. Private to "mate": et.
"mach" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "mate" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "mach" for "mate" ever safe?
Frequency check: "mach" vs "mate" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "mach" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mate" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #167,760 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mach" and "mate" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mach vs math". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #167,760 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.