# impulse vs impulsive

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### impulse
*noun · IPA /ˈɪmpʌls/ · frequency rank #10,866*
A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.

### impulsive
*adjective · IPA /ɪmˈpʌlsɪv/ · frequency rank #20,389*
Having the power of driving or impelling; giving an impulse; moving; impellent.

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