A method for checking an operation of an electric machine, which has three phases. For pulses of a first electric variable of the three phases, a pulse width modulation is carried out. Depending in each case on a positioning of electromechanical components of the electric machine with respect to one another, the first electric variable has a pulse with a longest pulse width for a first of the three phases, a pulse with an intermediate pulse width for a second of the three phases, and a pulse with a shortest pulse width for a third of the three phases. A cycle of the pulse width modulation is delimited by two points in time.