infinitive

/ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv/

//ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv// noun

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

"infinitive" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“infinitive” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,820. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,820
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The infinitive mood or mode (a grammatical mood).

Corpus desk

Index EN-infinitive · infinitive · English

infinitive · rank #48,820 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #48,820
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inferring

Nearest frequency peer: inferring (-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 “infinitive”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “infinitive” 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).

infinitive vs infinite
80% similar

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

Key facts for infinitive
PropertyValue
Headwordinfinitive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv/
Letters10
Frequency rank#48,820
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “infinitive”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).infinitivelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “inferring” (#48,819), “inexorable” (#48,818), “inexhaustible” (#48,817). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “infinitive” is #48,820. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around infinitive (IPA /ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #48,820 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for infinitive, with forms such as "ifninitive", "inffinitive", and "infiintive". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "infinite", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English infenitife (“without end, in perpetuity”), from Late Latin īnfīnītīvus (“unlimited, indefinite”), from Latin īnfīnītus (“unlimited, infinite”). By surface analysis, infinite + -ive. The correct English form is infinitive, spelled I-N-F-I-N-I-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The infinitive mood or mode (a grammatical mood).
  2. 2
    A non-finite verb form considered neutral with respect to inflection; depending on language variously found used with auxiliary verbs, in subordinate clauses, or acting as a gerund, and often as the dictionary form.
  3. 3
    A verbal noun formed from the infinitive of a verb.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The MANNERS of acting, in grammar called modes or moods, are four; Infinitive, Imperative, Indicative, Subjunctive or Conjunctive.
  2. There are four moods, the Infinitive, Imperative, Indicative, and Subjunctive. [...] the Infinitive is used to express a thing in a general manner.

Etymology

From Middle English infenitife (“without end, in perpetuity”), from Late Latin īnfīnītīvus (“unlimited, indefinite”), from Latin īnfīnītus (“unlimited, infinite”). By surface analysis, infinite + -ive.

This word in other languages

infinitivo(Español)infinitif(Français)Infinitiv(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ifninitive
  • inffinitive
  • infiintive
  • infiniitve
  • infinitiev
  • infinitivve
  • infinittive
  • infinitvie
  • infinnitive
  • infintiive
  • infniitive
  • inifnitive
  • innfinitive
  • nifinitive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ifninitive2inffinitive1infiintive2infiniitve2infinitiev2infinitivve1infinittive1infinitvie2
Edit distance from "infinitive"

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 "infinitive"?
"infinitive" is spelled I-N-F-I-N-I-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv/.
What does "infinitive" mean?
As a noun, "infinitive" means: The infinitive mood or mode (a grammatical mood).
What words are commonly confused with "infinitive"?
"infinitive" is commonly confused with "infinite". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "infinitive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "infinitive" is /ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv/. 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 "infinitive"?
From Middle English infenitife (“without end, in perpetuity”), from Late Latin īnfīnītīvus (“unlimited, indefinite”), from Latin īnfīnītus (“unlimited, infinite”). By surface analysis, infinite + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "infinitive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

inexorable#48,818inaugurate#48,815Kenilworth#48,848lovemaking#48,869

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

greenback14 variantsfoolhardy14 variantsfirmament14 variantsextrovert14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list