Which to use
“intensive” and “intrusive” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,485
- “intensive” frequency rank
- #18,861
- “intrusive” frequency rank
- 25346
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | intensive | intrusive |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Done with intensity or to a great degree; thorough. | Tending to intrude; doing that which is not welcome; interrupting or disturbing; entering without permission or welcome. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set intensive and intrusive apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. intensive (/ɪnˈtɛnsɪv/) and intrusive (/ɪnˈtɹuːsɪv/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25346, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
intensive is recorded at frequency rank #6,485, classified as anadj, pronounced /ɪnˈtɛnsɪv/. intrusive is at rank #18,861, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ɪnˈtɹuːsɪv/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 25346, this pair ranks #394,988 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of intensive vs intrusive
Shared letters: einstv. Private to "intensive": -. Private to "intrusive": ru.
"intensive" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCV · "intrusive" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "intensive" and "intrusive" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "intensive" or "intrusive"?
Remembering intensive vs intrusive
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “intensive” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable