offensive

/əˈfɛnsɪv/

//əˈfɛnsɪv// adj

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

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

The verdict

“offensive” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,247. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,247
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, hatred, sadness, or indignation.

Corpus desk

Index EN-offensive · offensive · English

offensive · rank #3,247 · 11 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,247
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH moral

Nearest frequency peer: moral (-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 “offensive”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “offensive” 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).

offensive vs offensively
82% similar
offensive vs offense
78% similar

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

Key facts for offensive
PropertyValue
Headwordoffensive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əˈfɛnsɪv/
Letters9
Frequency rank#3,247
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “offensive”

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).offensivelands here:

#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 “moral” (#3,246), “PA” (#3,248), “men's” (#3,245). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “offensive” is #3,247. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around offensive (IPA /əˈfɛnsɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #3,247 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for offensive, with forms such as "fofensive", "ofefnsive", and "ofensive". 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, "offensively", "offense", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French offensif, from offendre + -if by analogy with défensif. Offendre is from Latin offendere (“to offend”); see offend. The correct English form is offensive, spelled O-F-F-E-N-S-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, hatred, sadness, or indignation.
  2. 2
    Relating to an offense or attack, as opposed to defensive.
  3. 3
    Having to do with play directed at scoring.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Some people find pornography offensive.
  2. An offensive smell.

Etymology

From Middle French offensif, from offendre + -if by analogy with défensif. Offendre is from Latin offendere (“to offend”); see offend.

Synonyms

aggressiveinvidiousunheard-of

This word in other languages

ofensivo(Español)offensant(Français)beleidigend(Deutsch)ofensivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fofensive
  • ofefnsive
  • ofensive
  • offenisve
  • offennsive
  • offensiev
  • offensivve
  • offenssive
  • offensvie
  • offesnive
  • offnesive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fofensive2ofefnsive2ofensive1offenisve2offennsive1offensiev2offensivve1offenssive1
Edit distance from "offensive"

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 "offensive"?
"offensive" is spelled O-F-F-E-N-S-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈfɛnsɪv/.
What does "offensive" mean?
As an adjective, "offensive" means: Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, hatred, sadness, or indignation.
What words are commonly confused with "offensive"?
"offensive" is commonly confused with "offensively", "offense". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "offensive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "offensive" is /əˈfɛnsɪv/. 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 "offensive"?
From Middle French offensif, from offendre + -if by analogy with défensif. Offendre is from Latin offendere (“to offend”); see offend. 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 "offensive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

locations#3,242processes#3,252qualified#3,254increases#3,239

Similar misspelling depth

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

poverty11 variantssilence11 variantssuperior11 variantsColorado11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list