captive

/ˈkæptɪv/

//ˈkæptɪv// noun

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

"captive" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“captive” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,177. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,177
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who has been captured or is otherwise confined.

Corpus desk

Index EN-captive · captive · English

captive · rank #11,177 · 10 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,177
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH capsule

Nearest frequency peer: capsule (-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 “captive”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “captive” 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).

captive vs capture
71% similar
captive vs Castile
57% similar
captive vs caption
71% similar

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

Key facts for captive
PropertyValue
Headwordcaptive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæptɪv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#11,177
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “captive”

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).captivelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “capsule” (#11,176), “carr” (#11,178), “bracelet” (#11,175). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “captive” is #11,177. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around captive (IPA /ˈkæptɪv/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,177 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for captive, with forms such as "acptive", "capitve", and "capptive". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "capture", "Castile", "caption", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English captif; derived from Latin captīvus, probably through a borrowing from a Middle French intermediate. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“seize, hold”). Doublet of caitiff. The correct English form is captive, spelled C-A-P-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who has been captured or is otherwise confined.
  2. 2
    One held prisoner.
  3. 3
    One charmed or subdued by beauty, excellence, or affection; one who is captivated.
  4. 4
    A captive insurance company, a subsidiary of a company used as its internal insurer.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I envy not in any moods ⁠The captive void of noble rage, ⁠The linnet born within the cage, That never knew the summer woods: […]
  2. When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him. The captive made no resistance[…].

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English captif; derived from Latin captīvus, probably through a borrowing from a Middle French intermediate. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“seize, hold”). Doublet of caitiff.

This word in other languages

cautivo(Español)captif(Français)Gefangener(Deutsch)prisioneiro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acptive
  • capitve
  • capptive
  • captiev
  • captivve
  • capttive
  • captvie
  • catpive
  • ccaptive
  • cpative

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of captive - 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.

acptive2capitve2capptive1captiev2captivve1capttive1captvie2catpive2
Edit distance from "captive"

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 "captive"?
"captive" is spelled C-A-P-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæptɪv/.
What does "captive" mean?
As a noun, "captive" means: One who has been captured or is otherwise confined.
What words are commonly confused with "captive"?
"captive" is commonly confused with "capture", "Castile", "caption". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "captive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "captive" is /ˈkæptɪv/. 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 "captive"?
Inherited from Middle English captif; derived from Latin captīvus, probably through a borrowing from a Middle French intermediate. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“seize, hold”). Doublet of caitiff. 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 "captive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

capsule#11,176bananas#11,166appoint#11,163dietary#11,199

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

cinnamon10 variantswildly10 variantsemission10 variantsEverton10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list