# cognition vs cognitive

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### cognition
*noun · IPA /kɒɡˈnɪʃ.ən/ · frequency rank #18,521*
The process of knowing, of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought and through the senses.

### cognitive
*adjective · IPA /ˈkɒɡ.nɪ.tɪv/ · frequency rank #5,946*
Relating to the part of mental functions that deals with logic, as opposed to affective which deals with emotions.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cognition-vs-cognitive