# manipulate vs manipulative

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### manipulate
*verb · IPA /məˈnɪp.jʊ.leɪt/ · frequency rank #11,414*
To move, arrange or operate something using the hands

### manipulative
*adjective · IPA /məˈnɪp.jə.lə.tɪv/ · frequency rank #20,994*
Using manipulation purposefully.

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