extensive

/ɪkˈstɛn.sɪv/

//ɪkˈstɛn.sɪv// adj

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

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

The verdict

“extensive” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,056. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,056
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having a great extent; covering a large area; vast.

Corpus desk

Index EN-extensive · extensive · English

extensive · rank #3,056 · 13 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,056
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH eric

Nearest frequency peer: eric (-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 “extensive”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “extensive” 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).

extensive vs extensively
82% similar
extensive vs expensive
89% similar
extensive vs extension
78% similar

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

Key facts for extensive
PropertyValue
Headwordextensive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪkˈstɛn.sɪv/
Letters9
Frequency rank#3,056
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “extensive”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).extensivelands 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 “eric” (#3,055), “faced” (#3,057), “effectively” (#3,054). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “extensive” is #3,056. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around extensive (IPA /ɪkˈstɛn.sɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #3,056 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for extensive, with forms such as "etxensive", "exetnsive", and "extenisve". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "extensively", "expensive", "extension", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From late Middle English, borrowed from Late Latin extensīvus, from Latin extensus. The correct English form is extensive, spelled E-X-T-E-N-S-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having a great extent; covering a large area; vast.
  2. 2
    Considerable in amount.
  3. 3
    Serving to extend or lengthen; characterized by extension.
  4. 4
    Having a combined system entropy that equals the sum of the entropies of the independent systems.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In the second century of the Christian era, the Empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the earth, and the most civilised portion of mankind. The frontiers of that extensive monarchy were guarded by ancient renown and disciplined valour.
  2. I have done extensive research on the subject.

Etymology

From late Middle English, borrowed from Late Latin extensīvus, from Latin extensus.

This word in other languages

extenso(Español)étendu(Français)umfangreich(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etxensive
  • exetnsive
  • extenisve
  • extennsive
  • extensiev
  • extensivve
  • extenssive
  • extensvie
  • extesnive
  • extnesive
  • exttensive
  • exxtensive
  • xetensive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etxensive2exetnsive2extenisve2extennsive1extensiev2extensivve1extenssive1extensvie2
Edit distance from "extensive"

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 "extensive"?
"extensive" is spelled E-X-T-E-N-S-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈstɛn.sɪv/.
What does "extensive" mean?
As an adjective, "extensive" means: Having a great extent; covering a large area; vast.
What words are commonly confused with "extensive"?
"extensive" is commonly confused with "extensively", "expensive", "extension". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "extensive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "extensive" is /ɪkˈstɛn.sɪv/. 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 "extensive"?
From late Middle English, borrowed from Late Latin extensīvus, from Latin extensus. 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 "extensive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

formation#3,059criticism#3,051chocolate#3,047celebrate#3,045

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

universal13 variantsmountains13 variantsmeanwhile13 variantspayments13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list