maximum
/ˈmæksɪməm/
"maximum" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“maximum” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,491 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #2,491
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
- 5
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The highest limit.
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 | maximum |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈmæksɪməm/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #2,491 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 5 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “maximum” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for maximum is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmæksɪməm/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,491 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for maximum, with forms such as "amximum", "maixmum", and "maximmu". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "minimum", "Maximus", "maxim", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: Via French from Latin maximum. The correct English form is maximum, spelled M-A-X-I-M-U-M.
Definition
- 1The highest limit.
- 2The greatest value of a set or other mathematical structure, especially the global maximum or a local maximum of a function.
- 3An upper bound of a set which is also an element of that set.
- 4The largest value of a batch or sample or the upper bound of a probability distribution.
- 5A 147 break; the highest possible break.
- 6A score of 180 with three darts.
- 7A scoring shot for 6 runs.
- 8maximum security
Etymology
Via French from Latin maximum.
Synonyms
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: amximum,maixmum,maximmu,maximmum,maximumm,maxiumm,maxmium,maxximum,mmaximum,mxaimum
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of maximum - 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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Using “maximum”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-A-X-I-M-U-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈmæksɪməm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “minimum” - see the side-by-side comparison. maximum vs minimum
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.