declarative

/dɪˈklæɹ.ə.tɪv/

//dɪˈklæɹ.ə.tɪv// adj

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

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

The verdict

“declarative” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #45,320 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#45,320
frequency rank, English
11
letters
16
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Serving to declare; having the quality of a declaration.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

declarative vs decorative
82% similar
declarative vs declaration
82% similar

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

Key facts for declarative
PropertyValue
Headworddeclarative
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈklæɹ.ə.tɪv/
Letters11
Frequency rank#45,320
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “declarative” 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). declarative 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 declarative is 11 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈklæɹ.ə.tɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #45,320 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 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 declarative, with forms such as "dcelarative", "ddeclarative", and "decalrative". 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, "decorative", "declaration", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Derived from Middle French déclaratif. The correct English form is declarative, spelled D-E-C-L-A-R-A-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Serving to declare; having the quality of a declaration.
  2. 2
    Expressing truth.
  3. 3
    That declares a construct.
  4. 4
    A way of programming that is most akin to just stating what is wanted, rather than having to describe how to do it. Declarative programming

Etymology

Derived from Middle French déclaratif.

This word in other languages

declarativo(Español)déclaratif(Français)deklarativ(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: dcelarative,ddeclarative,decalrative,decclarative,declaartive,declaraitve,declaratiev,declarativve,declarattive,declaratvie,declarrative,declartaive,decllarative,declraative,delcarative,edclarative

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

dcelarative2ddeclarative1decalrative2decclarative1declaartive2declaraitve2declaratiev2declarativve1
Edit distance from "declarative"

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 "declarative"?
"declarative" is spelled D-E-C-L-A-R-A-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈklæɹ.ə.tɪv/.
What does "declarative" mean?
As an adjective, "declarative" means: Serving to declare; having the quality of a declaration.
What words are commonly confused with "declarative"?
"declarative" is commonly confused with "decorative", "declaration". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "declarative"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "declarative" is /dɪˈklæɹ.ə.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 "declarative"?
Derived from Middle French déclaratif. 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 “declarative”

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

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