# investigate vs investigative

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### investigate
*verb · IPA /ɪnˈvɛs.tə.ɡeɪt/ · frequency rank #4,243*
To inquire into or study in order to ascertain facts or information.

### investigative
*adjective · IPA /ɪnˈvɛstɪɡətɪv/ · frequency rank #11,560*
Of or pertaining to investigation or an investigation.

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