Which to use
“maximal” and “maximalen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,774
- “maximal” frequency rank
- #14,359
- “maximalen” frequency rank
- 17133
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | maximal | maximalen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | größtmöglich, höchstmöglich, höchst, in höchstem Maß | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs maximal |
Where the eye mixes maximal and maximalen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: maximal vs maximalen
A purely visual mix-up. maximal ([maksiˈmaːl]) and maximalen ([maksiˈmaːlən]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “maximal” sits inside “maximalen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17133, 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]. maximalen is at rank #14,359, tagged as anadj, pronounced [maksiˈmaːlən].
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 17133, this pair ranks #1,930,082 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of maximal vs maximalen
Shared letters: ailmx. Private to "maximal": -. Private to "maximalen": en.
"maximal" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "maximalen" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "maximal" and "maximalen" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary German text, does "maximal" or "maximalen" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "maximal" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "maximalen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,930,082 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "maximal" and "maximalen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "maximalen vs maximales". 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 #1,930,082 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.