attentive
/əˈtɛntɪv/
"attentive" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“attentive” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,524 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #19,524
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Paying attention; noticing, watching, listening, or attending closely.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | attentive |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /əˈtɛntɪv/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #19,524 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “attentive” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for attentive is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈtɛntɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,524 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for attentive, with forms such as "atentive", "atetntive", and "attenitve". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "attention", 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 attentif, attentijf, from Old French attentif. The correct English form is attentive, spelled A-T-T-E-N-T-I-V-E.
Definition
- 1Paying attention; noticing, watching, listening, or attending closely.
- 2Courteous; mindful.
Etymology
From Middle English attentif, attentijf, from Old French attentif.
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: atentive,atetntive,attenitve,attenntive,attentiev,attentivve,attenttive,attentvie,attetnive,attnetive,tatentive
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of attentive - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "attentive"?
What does "attentive" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "attentive"?
How do you pronounce "attentive"?
What is the origin of the word "attentive"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “attentive”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-T-T-E-N-T-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /əˈtɛntɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “attention” - see the side-by-side comparison. attentive vs attention
- 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.