au maximum

\o mak.si.mɔm\

/\o mak.si.mɔm\/ adv

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“au maximum” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sans excéder ; sans dépasser ; au plus.

Key facts for au maximum
PropertyValue
Headwordau maximum
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdverb
IPA\o mak.si.mɔm\
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “au maximum” sits in French frequency

au maximum falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

au maximum is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed \o mak.si.mɔm\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for au maximum in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is au maximum, spelled A-U- -M-A-X-I-M-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sans excéder ; sans dépasser ; au plus.
  2. 2
    Le plus possible.

Synonyms

au plusau mieuxdans le meilleur des casdans les meilleurs des casà tout casser

Antonyms

au minimum

This word in other languages

at most(English)im Höchstfall(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "au maximum"?
"au maximum" is spelled A-U- -M-A-X-I-M-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is \o mak.si.mɔm\.
What does "au maximum" mean?
As an adverb, "au maximum" means: Sans excéder ; sans dépasser ; au plus.
How do you pronounce "au maximum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "au maximum" is \o mak.si.mɔm\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "au maximum" come from?
"au maximum" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “au maximum”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is A-U- -M-A-X-I-M-U-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \o mak.si.mɔm\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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.

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

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