causative

/ˈkɔːzətɪv/

//ˈkɔːzətɪv// adj

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

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

The verdict

“causative” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,574. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,574
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Acting as a cause.

Corpus desk

Index EN-causative · causative · English

causative · rank #42,574 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,574
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH catnip

Nearest frequency peer: catnip (-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 “causative”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “causative” 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).

causative vs curative
78% similar
causative vs causation
78% similar

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

Key facts for causative
PropertyValue
Headwordcausative
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkɔːzətɪv/
Letters9
Frequency rank#42,574
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “causative”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).causativelands 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 “catnip” (#42,573), “CDA” (#42,575), “cesspool” (#42,577). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “causative” is #42,574. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around causative (IPA /ˈkɔːzətɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #42,574 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for causative, with forms such as "acusative", "casuative", and "cauastive". 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, "curative", "causation", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French causatif, from Latin causātīvus (“causative, pertaining to a lawsuit, accusative”), from causa (“cause”); see cause (verb) and -ive. The correct English form is causative, spelled C-A-U-S-A-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Acting as a cause.
  2. 2
    Involving, or affected by, causality.
  3. 3
    Expressing a cause or causation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Causative in nature of a number of effects.
  2. Such statistical analysis can establish correlation but cannot tell us whether the correlation is proximally causative, distally causative, or noncausative.

Etymology

From French causatif, from Latin causātīvus (“causative, pertaining to a lawsuit, accusative”), from causa (“cause”); see cause (verb) and -ive.

Antonyms

noncausative

This word in other languages

causativo(Español)causatif(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acusative
  • casuative
  • cauastive
  • causaitve
  • causatiev
  • causativve
  • causattive
  • causatvie
  • caussative
  • caustaive
  • ccausative
  • cuasative

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acusative2casuative2cauastive2causaitve2causatiev2causativve1causattive1causatvie2
Edit distance from "causative"

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 "causative"?
"causative" is spelled C-A-U-S-A-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɔːzətɪv/.
What does "causative" mean?
As an adjective, "causative" means: Acting as a cause.
What words are commonly confused with "causative"?
"causative" is commonly confused with "curative", "causation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "causative"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "causative" is /ˈkɔːzətɪv/. 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 "causative"?
From French causatif, from Latin causātīvus (“causative, pertaining to a lawsuit, accusative”), from causa (“cause”); see cause (verb) and -ive. 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 "causative", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

carnivore#42,569commissar#42,583Deerfield#42,598Beresford#42,545

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

casement12 variantsCanfield12 variantsdecrypt12 variantsbiathlon12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list