extremavsextremeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“extrema” and “extreme” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#3,921
“extrema” frequency rank
#36,042
“extreme” frequency rank
39963
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature extrema extreme
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de extremar. Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de extremar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set extrema and extreme apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
extrema
7 ch
extreme

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. extrema ([eksˈt̪ɾema]) and extreme ([eksˈt̪ɾeme]) 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 a single letter - a in “extrema” becomes e in “extreme”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39963, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

extrema is recorded at frequency rank #3,921, classified as averb, pronounced [eksˈt̪ɾema]. extreme is at rank #36,042, tagged as averb, pronounced [eksˈt̪ɾeme].

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 39963, this pair ranks #161,688 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of extrema vs extreme

Shared letters: emrtx. Private to "extrema": a. Private to "extreme": -.

"extrema" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCV  ·  "extreme" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • extremaetxrema · exrtema · exterma · extream · extremma · extrmea · extrrema · exttrema
  • extremeetxreme · exrteme · exterme · extreem · extremme · extrmee · extrreme · exttreme

Frequency comparison

extrema#3,921
extreme#36,042

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "extrema" and "extreme" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([eksˈt̪ɾema] versus [eksˈt̪ɾeme]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "extrema" or "extreme"?
"extrema" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,921 in our Spanish list, against #36,042 for "extreme". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering extrema vs extreme

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “extrema” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list