# illustrate vs illustrative

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### illustrate
*verb · IPA /ˈɪl.jʊˌstɹeɪt/ · frequency rank #11,044*
To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison.

### illustrative
*adjective · IPA /ɪˈlʌs.tɹə.tɪv/ · frequency rank #28,247*
Demonstrative, exemplative, showing an example or demonstrating.

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