adjective

/ˈæd͡ʒ.ɪk.tɪv/

//ˈæd͡ʒ.ɪk.tɪv// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"adjective" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“adjective” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,475. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,475
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A word that modifies a noun or noun phrase or describes a noun’s referent.

Corpus desk

Index EN-adjective · adjective · English

adjective · rank #18,475 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,475
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH adherence

Nearest frequency peer: adherence (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “adjective”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “adjective” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

adjective vs affective
78% similar
adjective vs addictive
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for adjective
PropertyValue
Headwordadjective
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæd͡ʒ.ɪk.tɪv/
Letters9
Frequency rank#18,475
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “adjective”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).adjectivelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “adherence” (#18,474), “acidic” (#18,473), “academies” (#18,472). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “adjective” is #18,475. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around adjective (IPA /ˈæd͡ʒ.ɪk.tɪv/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,475 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for adjective, with forms such as "addjective", "adejctive", and "adjcetive". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "affective", "addictive", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English adjectif, adjective, from Old French adjectif, from Latin adiectivus, from adiciō + -īvus, from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + iaciō (“throw”). The Latin word adiectivus in turn was a calque of Ancient Greek ἐπιθετικόν (epithetikón, “added”),… The correct English form is adjective, spelled A-D-J-E-C-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A word that modifies a noun or noun phrase or describes a noun’s referent.
  2. 2
    A dependent; an accessory.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how adjective appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The words “big” and “heavy” are English adjectives.
  2. "They'll have to invent new adjectives when I come back. You wait!"

Etymology

From Middle English adjectif, adjective, from Old French adjectif, from Latin adiectivus, from adiciō + -īvus, from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + iaciō (“throw”). The Latin word adiectivus in turn was a calque of Ancient Greek ἐπιθετικόν (epithetikón, “added”), a derivative of the compound verb ἐπιτίθημι (epitíthēmi), from which also comes epithet.

Synonyms

adjectiveadjective nounadnoundescribing worddescription wordnoun adjective

This word in other languages

adjetivo(Español)nom adjectif(Français)Adjektiv(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • addjective
  • adejctive
  • adjcetive
  • adjecctive
  • adjecitve
  • adjectiev
  • adjectivve
  • adjecttive
  • adjectvie
  • adjetcive
  • adjjective
  • ajdective
  • dajective

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of adjective - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

addjective1adejctive2adjcetive2adjecctive1adjecitve2adjectiev2adjectivve1adjecttive1
Edit distance from "adjective"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "adjective"?
"adjective" is spelled A-D-J-E-C-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæd͡ʒ.ɪk.tɪv/.
What does "adjective" mean?
As a noun, "adjective" means: A word that modifies a noun or noun phrase or describes a noun’s referent.
What words are commonly confused with "adjective"?
"adjective" is commonly confused with "affective", "addictive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "adjective"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "adjective" is /ˈæd͡ʒ.ɪk.tɪv/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "adjective"?
From Middle English adjectif, adjective, from Old French adjectif, from Latin adiectivus, from adiciō + -īvus, from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + iaciō (“throw”). The Latin word adiectivus in turn was a calque of Ancient Greek ἐπιθετικόν (epithetikón,... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "adjective", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

adherence#18,474academies#18,472appellate#18,483approving#18,484

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

westward13 variantstrucking13 variantsshortcut13 variantsdeceptive13 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list