maciovsmáximoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“macio” and “máximo” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#14,891
“macio” frequency rank
#1,578
“máximo” frequency rank
16469
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature macio máximo
Definition que é suave aos sentidos. aveludado o maior de todos

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set macio and máximo apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
macio
6 ch
máximo

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. macio (/mɐ.ˈsi.u/) and máximo (/ˈma.si.mu/) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16469, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

macio is recorded at frequency rank #14,891, classified as anadj, pronounced /mɐ.ˈsi.u/. máximo is at rank #1,578, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈma.si.mu/.

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 16469, this pair ranks #55,047 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of macio vs máximo

Shared letters: imo. Private to "macio": ac. Private to "máximo": .

"macio" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV  ·  "máximo" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • macioamcio · maccio · macoi · maico · mcaio · mmacio

Frequency comparison

macio#14,891
máximo#1,578

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "macio" and "máximo" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/mɐ.ˈsi.u/ versus /ˈma.si.mu/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "macio" or "máximo"?
"máximo" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,578 in our Portuguese list, against #14,891 for "macio". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering macio vs máximo

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 “macio” 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