Which to use
“Maria” and “máxima” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #619
- “Maria” frequency rank
- #3,092
- “máxima” frequency rank
- 3711
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Maria | máxima |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | prenome feminino muito comum | a expressão de uma verdade ou princípio geral, especialmente uma com tom moral ou aforístico |
Where the eye mixes Maria and máxima
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: Maria vs máxima
A purely visual mix-up. Maria (/ma.ˈɾi.ɐ/) and máxima (/ˈma.si.mɐ/) 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 3711, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Maria is recorded at frequency rank #619, classified as anoun, pronounced /ma.ˈɾi.ɐ/. máxima is at rank #3,092, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈma.si.mɐ/.
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 3711, this pair ranks #71,380 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Maria vs máxima
Shared letters: aim. Private to "Maria": r. Private to "máxima": xá.
"Maria" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV · "máxima" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- Maria ← amria · maira · marai · marria · mmaria · mraia
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Maria" and "máxima" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Portuguese text, does "Maria" or "máxima" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Maria" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "máxima" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #71,380 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Maria" and "máxima" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Maria vs mirra". 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 #71,380 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.