# investigation vs investigative

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### investigation
*noun · IPA /ɪnˌvɛs.tɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ · frequency rank #1,831*
The act of investigating; the process of inquiring into or following up; research, especially patient or thorough inquiry or examination

### 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/investigation-vs-investigative