Yes, it is actually das Mädchen. If you said "die Mädchen, then it would mean more than one girl.But MAD-khen? Not exactly. The "Mä" part sounds like a cross between ay (as in may) and e (as in men). "D" is more or less the same. "Chen" is more difficult because that sound doesn't even exist in English. Altogether it sort of sounds like "MEHt-yen".
― Anonymous User 1/29/2011
1
In German, it is actually pronounced more like MEH-d-chen, with that softer 'ch' sound found in Gretchen ('chen' being a German diminutive). The umlaut over the 'a' changes the sound to more like an 'eh'. The best possible English approximation, in my opinion, would be MAID-shun.Like it says, though, this is not used in Germany and simply means 'girl'. Maybe better for a middle name?