maxim
/ˈmæk.sɪm/
"maxim" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“maxim” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,411. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #17,411
- frequency rank, English
- 4,057
- “M” headwords
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A self-evident axiom or premise; a pithy expression of a general principle or rule.
Corpus desk
Index EN-maxim · maxim · English
maxim · rank #17,411 · 7 variants · 20 confusables
- FREQ-MID #17,411
- LEN-MID 5 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
- VAR-MID 7 variants
- BOOK-MID 4,057
- PHOTO-FINISH mashed
Nearest frequency peer: mashed (-1 rank slots)
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
Rank peers near misspelling magnet “maxim”
Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword
- Malay
Malay
82,594 corpus weight
- Martian
Martian
82,592 corpus weight
- mashed
mashed
82,591 corpus weight
- maxim
maxim
82,590 corpus weight
- Mei
Mei
82,588 corpus weight
- melancholy
melancholy
82,587 corpus weight
What this shows “maxim” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | maxim |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈmæk.sɪm/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #17,411 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “maxim”
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 7 spelling variants around maxim (IPA /ˈmæk.sɪm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,411 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for maxim, with forms such as "amxim", "maixm", and "maximm". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "mim", "Maxine", "maxima", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman maxime and Middle French maxime, from Late Latin maxima (“axiom”), noun use of the feminine singular form of Latin maximus (apparently as used in the phrase prōpositiō maxima (“greatest premise”)). Doublet of maxima. The correct English form is maxim, spelled M-A-X-I-M.
Definition
- 1A self-evident axiom or premise; a pithy expression of a general principle or rule.
- 2A precept; a succinct statement or observation of a rule of conduct or moral teaching.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how maxim appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
In every age and country of the world men must have attended to the characters, designs, and actions of one another, and many reputable rules and maxims for the conduct of human life, must have been laid down and approved of by common consent.
It was impossible to imagine anything more cold or comfortless, while it was a task of no small dexterity to thread your way through the labyrinth of trunks, bandboxes, &c.; for it had of late years become a maxim with Lady Anne that nothing ought to be thrown or given away:...
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman maxime and Middle French maxime, from Late Latin maxima (“axiom”), noun use of the feminine singular form of Latin maximus (apparently as used in the phrase prōpositiō maxima (“greatest premise”)). Doublet of maxima.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- amxim
- maixm
- maximm
- maxmi
- maxxim
- mmaxim
- mxaim
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of maxim - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "maxim", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).
Similar misspelling depth
Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).