# respective vs respectively

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### respective
*adjective · IPA /ɹɪˈspɛktɪv/ · frequency rank #5,258*
Relating to particular persons or things, each to each; particular; own.

### respectively
*adverb · IPA /ɹɪˈspɛktɪvli/ · frequency rank #3,331*
In a relative manner; often used when comparing array lists, where the term denotes that the items in the lists correspond to each other in the order they are given.

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