# distinction vs distinctive

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### distinction
*noun · IPA /dɪˈstɪŋkʃən/ · frequency rank #6,044*
That which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination.

### distinctive
*adjective · IPA /dɪˈstɪŋktɪv/ · frequency rank #7,123*
Distinguishing, used to or enabling the distinguishing of some thing.

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