# deception vs deceptive

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### deception
*noun · IPA /dɪˈsɛpʃən/ · frequency rank #12,031*
An instance of actions and/or schemes fabricated to mislead someone into believing a lie or inaccuracy.

### deceptive
*adjective · IPA /dɪˈsɛp.tɪv/ · frequency rank #18,535*
Likely or attempting to deceive.

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