# maximal vs maximum

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### maximal
*adjective · IPA /ˈmæksɪməl/ · frequency rank #26,882*
Largest, greatest (in magnitude), highest, most.

### maximum
*noun · IPA /ˈmæksɪməm/ · frequency rank #2,491*
The highest limit.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maximal-vs-maximum