operative

/ˈɒpəɹətɪv/

//ˈɒpəɹətɪv// adj

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

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

The verdict

“operative” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,836. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,836
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Effectual or important.

Corpus desk

Index EN-operative · operative · English

operative · rank #8,836 · 12 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,836
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH NSA

Nearest frequency peer: NSA (-2 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 “operative”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “operative” 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).

operative vs operate
78% similar
operative vs operatic
78% similar
operative vs operation
78% similar

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

Key facts for operative
PropertyValue
Headwordoperative
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɒpəɹətɪv/
Letters9
Frequency rank#8,836
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “operative”

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).operativelands 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 “NSA” (#8,834), “owed” (#8,838), “nonprofit” (#8,833). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “operative” is #8,836. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around operative (IPA /ˈɒpəɹətɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #8,836 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for operative, with forms such as "oeprative", "opeartive", and "operaitve". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "operate", "operatic", "operation", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English operative, operatyfe, from Middle French operatif (modern French opératif) or its etymon Latin operātīvus. By surface analysis, operate + -ive. The correct English form is operative, spelled O-P-E-R-A-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Effectual or important.
  2. 2
    Functional, in working order.
  3. 3
    Having the power of acting; hence, exerting force, physical or moral; active in the production of effects.
  4. 4
    Producing the appropriate or designed effect; efficacious.
  5. 5
    Based upon, or consisting of, a surgical operation or operations.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He's usually in a good mood — the operative word there being "usually". Today was a disaster.
  2. an operative motive

Etymology

From Middle English operative, operatyfe, from Middle French operatif (modern French opératif) or its etymon Latin operātīvus. By surface analysis, operate + -ive.

This word in other languages

operatorio(Español)opératif(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oeprative
  • opeartive
  • operaitve
  • operatiev
  • operativve
  • operattive
  • operatvie
  • operrative
  • opertaive
  • opperative
  • opreative
  • poerative

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

oeprative2opeartive2operaitve2operatiev2operativve1operattive1operatvie2operrative1
Edit distance from "operative"

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 "operative"?
"operative" is spelled O-P-E-R-A-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒpəɹətɪv/.
What does "operative" mean?
As an adjective, "operative" means: Effectual or important.
What words are commonly confused with "operative"?
"operative" is commonly confused with "operate", "operatic", "operation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "operative"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "operative" is /ˈɒpəɹətɪv/. 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 "operative"?
From Middle English operative, operatyfe, from Middle French operatif (modern French opératif) or its etymon Latin operātīvus. By surface analysis, operate + -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 "operative", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

nonprofit#8,833logistics#8,816judiciary#8,809subjected#8,863

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

mounting12 variantsmorality12 variantssearches12 variantsinviting12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list