Which to use
“maximise” and “maximize” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,468
- “maximise” frequency rank
- #12,461
- “maximize” frequency rank
- 37929
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | maximise | maximize |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of maximize. | To make as large as possible. |
Same sound, different letters: maximise vs maximize
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 7 letters.
Same sound, different spelling - maximise / maximize
This is the hard kind. maximise and maximize are pronounced identically (/ˈmæksəmaɪz/) and both work as averb. Neither the ear nor the grammar will rescue you; only the meaning does, so the glosses below are the whole decision. They differ by a single letter - s in “maximise” becomes z in “maximize”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37929, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
maximise is recorded at frequency rank #25,468, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈmæksəmaɪz/. maximize is at rank #12,461, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈmæksəmaɪz/.
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 37929, this pair ranks #290,302 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of maximise vs maximize
Shared letters: aeimx. Private to "maximise": s. Private to "maximize": z.
"maximise" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCV · "maximize" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "maximise" and "maximize" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "maximise" vs "maximize" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
"maximise" and "maximize" share a sound, keep the gloss open, then jump to the headword or a nearby trap.
- Full dictionary entry for "maximise" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "maximize" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #290,302 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "maximise" and "maximize" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "maximise vs Maximus". 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 #290,302 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.