cursive

/ˈkɝsɪv/

//ˈkɝsɪv// adj

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

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

The verdict

“cursive” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,754. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,754
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Running; flowing.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cursive · cursive · English

cursive · rank #32,754 · 10 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,754
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cutout

Nearest frequency peer: cutout (+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 “cursive”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cursive” 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).

cursive vs curve
71% similar
cursive vs curse
71% similar
cursive vs curie
71% similar

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

Key facts for cursive
PropertyValue
Headwordcursive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkɝsɪv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#32,754
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cursive”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).cursivelands 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 “cutout” (#32,755), “crutch” (#32,752), “daisies” (#32,756). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cursive” is #32,754. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around cursive (IPA /ˈkɝsɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #32,754 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for cursive, with forms such as "ccursive", "crusive", and "curisve". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "curve", "curse", "curie", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French cursif, from Medieval Latin cursīvus, from Latin cursus. The correct English form is cursive, spelled C-U-R-S-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Running; flowing.
  2. 2
    Having successive letters joined together.
  3. 3
    Of or relating to a grammatical aspect relating to an action that occurs in a straight line (in space or time).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Then Mambro handed me his manuscript, a sheaf of loose pages really, his cursive handwriting scrawled over them, the exaggerated tails of the f’s and the j’s, the distinct loop of the q.
  2. cursive aspect

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French cursif, from Medieval Latin cursīvus, from Latin cursus.

This word in other languages

cursiva(Español)cursif(Français)kursiv(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccursive
  • crusive
  • curisve
  • currsive
  • cursiev
  • cursivve
  • curssive
  • cursvie
  • cusrive
  • ucrsive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cursive - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccursive1crusive2curisve2currsive1cursiev2cursivve1curssive1cursvie2
Edit distance from "cursive"

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 "cursive"?
"cursive" is spelled C-U-R-S-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɝsɪv/.
What does "cursive" mean?
As an adjective, "cursive" means: Running; flowing.
What words are commonly confused with "cursive"?
"cursive" is commonly confused with "curve", "curse", "curie". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cursive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cursive" is /ˈkɝsɪv/. 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 "cursive"?
Borrowed from Middle French cursif, from Medieval Latin cursīvus, from Latin cursus. 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 "cursive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

daisies#32,756confide#32,742chinook#32,731dissect#32,778

Similar misspelling depth

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

crutch10 variantsdeafness10 variantscharade10 variantsdrywall10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list