# defensive vs defensively

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### defensive
*adjective · IPA /dɪˈfɛn.sɪv/ · frequency rank #3,747*
Intended for defence; protective.

### defensively
*adverb · IPA /dɪˈfɛnsɪvli/ · frequency rank #20,087*
In a defensive manner.

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