laxative

Name: laxative, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈlæk.sə.tɪv/

//ˈlæk.sə.tɪv// adj

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed September 3, 2026

The verdict

“laxative” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #43,750. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#43,750
frequency rank, English: 2,297
“L” headwords: 11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having the effect of moving the bowels, or aiding digestion and preventing constipation.

Corpus desk

Index EN-laxative · laxative · English

laxative · rank #43,750 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

FREQ-MID #43,750
LEN-LONG 8 letters
VOW-4 4 vowels
CONFUS-0 No pairs
VAR-MID 11 variants
BOOK-MID 2,297
PHOTO-FINISH Lavrov

Nearest frequency peer: Lavrov (-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.

laundromat

56,254
Lavinia

56,253
Lavrov

56,252
laxative

56,251
leeward

56,249
lentil

56,248

What this shows “laxative” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Key facts for laxative
Property	Value
Headword	laxative
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/ˈlæk.sə.tɪv/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#43,750
Misspellings tracked	11
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “laxative”

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).laxativelands here:

#43,750

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Lavrov” (#43,749), “Lavinia” (#43,748), “leeward” (#43,752). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “laxative” is #43,750. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around laxative (IPA /ˈlæk.sə.tɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #43,750 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Having the effect of moving the bowels, or aiding digestion and preventing constipation.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for laxative, with forms such as "alxative", "laaxtive", and "laxaitve". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French laxatif, from Latin laxātīvus (literally “relaxing, loosening”). The correct English form is laxative, spelled L-A-X-A-T-I-V-E.

Definition

1
Having the effect of moving the bowels, or aiding digestion and preventing constipation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

BOlvs in Engliſh is called a morſell. It is a medicine laxatiue, in forme & faſhion it is meanely whole, & it is ſwallowed by litle gobbets.

Etymology

From Middle French laxatif, from Latin laxātīvus (literally “relaxing, loosening”).

This word in other languages

laxante(Español)laxatif(Français)laxante(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

alxative
laaxtive
laxaitve
laxatiev
laxativve
laxattive
laxatvie
laxtaive
laxxative
llaxative
lxaative

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of laxative - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Edit distance from "laxative"

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 "laxative"?

"laxative" is spelled L-A-X-A-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlæk.sə.tɪv/.

What does "laxative" mean?

As an adjective, "laxative" means: Having the effect of moving the bowels, or aiding digestion and preventing constipation.

What are common misspellings of "laxative"?

Common misspellings include "alxative", "laaxtive", "laxaitve", "laxatiev", "laxativve". The correct spelling is "laxative".

How do you pronounce "laxative"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "laxative" is /ˈlæk.sə.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 "laxative"?

From Middle French laxatif, from Latin laxātīvus (literally “relaxing, loosening”). 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 "laxative", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Lewisham#43,755 Khomeini#43,737 lustrous#43,766 Mahindra#43,769

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Kunming11 variants lustful11 variants marbled11 variants Margery11 variants