motive

/ˈməʊtɪv/

//ˈməʊtɪv// noun

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

"motive" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“motive” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,817 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,817
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An idea or communication that makes one want to act, especially from spiritual sources; a divine prompting.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

motive vs move
67% similar
motive vs movie
67% similar
motive vs motives
86% similar

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

Key facts for motive
PropertyValue
Headwordmotive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈməʊtɪv/
Letters6
Frequency rank#7,817
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “motive” 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). motive 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 motive is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈməʊtɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,817 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for motive, with forms such as "mmotive", "moitve", and "motiev". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "move", "movie", "motives", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus. The correct English form is motive, spelled M-O-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An idea or communication that makes one want to act, especially from spiritual sources; a divine prompting.
  2. 2
    An incentive to act in a particular way; a reason or emotion that makes one want to do something; anything that prompts a choice of action.
  3. 3
    A limb or other bodily organ that can move.
  4. 4
    Something which causes someone to want to commit a crime; a reason for criminal behaviour.
  5. 5
    Alternative form of motif.
  6. 6
    A party, gathering, or get-together.
  7. 7
    One's plans for the day or night.

Etymology

From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus.

This word in other languages

motivo(Español)motif(Français)Motiv(Deutsch)motivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mmotive,moitve,motiev,motivve,mottive,motvie,mtoive,omtive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mmotive1moitve2motiev2motivve1mottive1motvie2mtoive2omtive2
Edit distance from "motive"

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 "motive"?
"motive" is spelled M-O-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈməʊtɪv/.
What does "motive" mean?
As a noun, "motive" means: An idea or communication that makes one want to act, especially from spiritual sources; a divine prompting.
What words are commonly confused with "motive"?
"motive" is commonly confused with "move", "movie", "motives". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "motive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "motive" is /ˈməʊtɪv/. 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 "motive"?
From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus. 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 “motive”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-O-T-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈməʊtɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “move” - see the side-by-side comparison. motive vs move
  • 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