máximavsmimaWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: máxima is a noun, mima is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“máxima” is a noun and “mima” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#2,512
“máxima” frequency rank
#36,161
“mima” frequency rank
38673
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature máxima mima
Definition Regla, principio o proposición generalmente admitida por todos los que profesan una facultad o ciencia. Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de mimar.

Where the eye mixes máxima and mima

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.

6 ch
máxima
4 ch
mima

Look-alike desk: máxima vs mima

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: máxima is [ˈmaksima] while mima is [ˈmima]. 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 verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38673, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

máxima is recorded at frequency rank #2,512, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmaksima]. mima is at rank #36,161, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈmima].

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 38673, this pair ranks #168,698 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of máxima vs mima

Shared letters: aim. Private to "máxima": . Private to "mima": -.

"máxima" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV  ·  "mima" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • mimaimma · miam · mimma · mmia · mmima

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "máxima" and "mima" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "máxima" is a noun and "mima" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Frequency check: "máxima" vs "mima" - which ranks higher?
"máxima" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,512 in our Spanish list, against #36,161 for "mima". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

What to do next

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

  • Full dictionary entry for "máxima" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "mima" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #168,698 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "máxima" and "mima" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mima vs minga". 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 #168,698 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