mamásvsmáximasConfusable pair

Quick tell: mamás is a noun, máximas is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“mamás” is a noun and “máximas” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#16,378
“mamás” frequency rank
#13,965
“máximas” frequency rank
30343
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mamás máximas
Definition Forma del plural de mamá. Forma del femenino plural de máximo.

Where the eye mixes mamás and máximas

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. mamás runs 5 letters (CVCVC) against máximas's 7 (CVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

5 ch
mamás
7 ch
máximas

Look-alike desk: mamás vs máximas

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: mamás is [maˈmas] while máximas is [ˈmaksimas]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30343, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mamás is recorded at frequency rank #16,378, classified as anoun, pronounced [maˈmas]. máximas is at rank #13,965, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈmaksimas].

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 30343, this pair ranks #212,467 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of mamás vs máximas

Shared letters: amsá. Private to "mamás": -. Private to "máximas": ix.

"mamás" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "máximas" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "mamás" and "máximas" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "mamás" is a noun and "máximas" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Frequency check: "mamás" vs "máximas" - which ranks higher?
"máximas" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,965 in our Spanish list, against #16,378 for "mamás". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "mamás" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "máximas" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #212,467 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "mamás" and "máximas" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "makes vs mamás". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #212,467 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list