Which to use
“maximal” and “maximale” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,774
- “maximal” frequency rank
- #7,504
- “maximale” frequency rank
- 10278
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | maximal | maximale |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | größtmöglich, höchstmöglich, höchst, in höchstem Maß | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs maximal |
Where the eye mixes maximal and maximale
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between maximal and maximale
A purely visual mix-up. maximal ([maksiˈmaːl]) and maximale ([maksiˈmaːlə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “maximal” sits inside “maximale”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10278, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
maximal is recorded at frequency rank #2,774, classified as anadj, pronounced [maksiˈmaːl]. maximale is at rank #7,504, tagged as anadj, pronounced [maksiˈmaːlə].
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 10278, this pair ranks #1,975,916 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of maximal vs maximale
Shared letters: ailmx. Private to "maximal": -. Private to "maximale": e.
"maximal" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "maximale" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "maximal" for "maximale" ever safe?
Which is more common, "maximal" or "maximale"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "maximal" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "maximale" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,975,916 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "maximal" and "maximale" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Maxima vs maximale". 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 #1,975,916 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.