alive

/əˈlaɪv/

//əˈlaɪv// adj

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

"alive" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“alive” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,780 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,780
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having life; living; not dead.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

alive vs ave
60% similar
alive vs aloe
60% similar
alive vs Alva
40% similar

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

Key facts for alive
PropertyValue
Headwordalive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əˈlaɪv/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,780
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “alive” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). alive lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for alive is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈlaɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,780 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for alive, with forms such as "ailve", "aliev", and "alivve". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ave", "aloe", "Alva", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English alive, alife, olive, olife, on live, on life, from Old English on līfe (“alive”, literally “in life" or "in (the) body”), from on (“on, in”) + līfe, dative singular of līf (“life”). In this sense, replaced Old English cwic (whence Englis… The correct English form is alive, spelled A-L-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having life; living; not dead.
  2. 2
    In a state of action; in force or operation; existent.
  3. 3
    Busy with activity of many living beings; swarming; thronged; busy.
  4. 4
    Carrying electrical current; energized.
  5. 5
    Aware of; sensitive to.
  6. 6
    Sprightly; lively; brisk.
  7. 7
    Susceptible, sensitive; easy to impress; having keen feelings, as opposed to apathy.
  8. 8
    Out of all living creatures.
  9. 9
    Synonym of live.

Etymology

From Middle English alive, alife, olive, olife, on live, on life, from Old English on līfe (“alive”, literally “in life" or "in (the) body”), from on (“on, in”) + līfe, dative singular of līf (“life”). In this sense, replaced Old English cwic (whence English quick). Equivalent to a- + life. Compare Dutch in leven (“alive”, literally “in life”), German am Leben (“alive”, literally “at life" or "at living”).

Synonyms

alive and kickingextantvitalexistingfriskypeppyzestfulactiveenergizedhotliveeverin the worldabove groundalivealive and wellanimateanimatedkickinglivelylivesomelivingquickstill with ussurvivingundeceasedvitalic

Antonyms

dead

This word in other languages

vivo(Español)en vie(Français)lebendig(Deutsch)vivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ailve,aliev,alivve,allive,alvie,laive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of alive - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ailve2aliev2alivve1allive1alvie2laive2
Edit distance from "alive"

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 "alive"?
"alive" is spelled A-L-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈlaɪv/.
What does "alive" mean?
As an adjective, "alive" means: Having life; living; not dead.
What words are commonly confused with "alive"?
"alive" is commonly confused with "ave", "aloe", "Alva". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "alive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "alive" is /əˈlaɪv/. 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 "alive"?
From Middle English alive, alife, olive, olife, on live, on life, from Old English on līfe (“alive”, literally “in life" or "in (the) body”), from on (“on, in”) + līfe, dative singular of līf (“life”). In this sense, replaced Old English cwic (whe... 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.

Using “alive”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-L-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈlaɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ave” - see the side-by-side comparison. alive vs ave
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list