collaborative

/kəˈlæb.ə.ɹə.tɪv/

//kəˈlæb.ə.ɹə.tɪv// adj

"collaborative" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“collaborative” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,860 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#9,860
frequency rank, English
13
letters
17
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of, relating to, or done by collaboration.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

collaborative vs collaboratively
87% similar
collaborative vs collaborate
85% similar
collaborative vs collaboration
85% similar

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

Key facts for collaborative
PropertyValue
Headwordcollaborative
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kəˈlæb.ə.ɹə.tɪv/
Letters13
Frequency rank#9,860
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “collaborative” 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). collaborative 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 collaborative is 13 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəˈlæb.ə.ɹə.tɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,860 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Of, relating to, or done by collaboration.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for collaborative, with forms such as "ccollaborative", "clolaborative", and "colaborative". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "collaboratively", "collaborate", "collaboration", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From collaborate + -ive. The correct English form is collaborative, spelled C-O-L-L-A-B-O-R-A-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of, relating to, or done by collaboration.

Etymology

From collaborate + -ive.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccollaborative,clolaborative,colaborative,colalborative,collabborative,collaboartive,collaboraitve,collaboratiev,collaborativve,collaborattive,collaboratvie,collaborrative,collabortaive,collabroative,collaobrative,collbaorative,ocllaborative

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccollaborative1clolaborative2colaborative1colalborative2collabborative1collaboartive2collaboraitve2collaboratiev2
Edit distance from "collaborative"

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 "collaborative"?
"collaborative" is spelled C-O-L-L-A-B-O-R-A-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈlæb.ə.ɹə.tɪv/.
What does "collaborative" mean?
As an adjective, "collaborative" means: Of, relating to, or done by collaboration.
What words are commonly confused with "collaborative"?
"collaborative" is commonly confused with "collaboratively", "collaborate", "collaboration". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "collaborative"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "collaborative" is /kəˈlæb.ə.ɹə.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 "collaborative"?
From collaborate + -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.

Using “collaborative”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-L-L-A-B-O-R-A-T-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kəˈlæb.ə.ɹə.tɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “collaboratively” - see the side-by-side comparison. collaborative vs collaboratively
  • 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