competitive

/kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv/

//kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv// adj

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

"competitive" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“competitive” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,620 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#2,620
frequency rank, English
11
letters
16
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or pertaining to competition.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

competitive vs competitively
85% similar
competitive vs competition
82% similar

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

Key facts for competitive
PropertyValue
Headwordcompetitive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv/
Letters11
Frequency rank#2,620
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “competitive” 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). competitive 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 competitive is 11 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,620 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for competitive, with forms such as "ccompetitive", "cmopetitive", and "comeptitive". 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, "competitively", "competition", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin competītus (past participle of competere) + -ive. The correct English form is competitive, spelled C-O-M-P-E-T-I-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or pertaining to competition.
  2. 2
    Inclined to compete.
  3. 3
    Capable of competing successfully.
  4. 4
    Relating to the inhibition of the effects of a chemical substance by another substance competing with it for binding or bonding.
  5. 5
    Cheap, especially used of quality products.

Etymology

From Latin competītus (past participle of competere) + -ive.

This word in other languages

competitivo(Español)compétitif(Français)Wettbewerbs-(Deutsch)competitivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccompetitive,cmopetitive,comeptitive,commpetitive,compeittive,competiitve,competitiev,competitivve,competittive,competitvie,compettiive,compettitive,comppetitive,compteitive,copmetitive,ocmpetitive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccompetitive1cmopetitive2comeptitive2commpetitive1compeittive2competiitve2competitiev2competitivve1
Edit distance from "competitive"

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 "competitive"?
"competitive" is spelled C-O-M-P-E-T-I-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv/.
What does "competitive" mean?
As an adjective, "competitive" means: Of or pertaining to competition.
What words are commonly confused with "competitive"?
"competitive" is commonly confused with "competitively", "competition". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "competitive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "competitive" is /kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv/. 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 "competitive"?
From Latin competītus (past participle of competere) + -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 “competitive”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-M-P-E-T-I-T-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “competitively” - see the side-by-side comparison. competitive vs competitively
  • 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