perfective

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

/pə(ɹ)ˈfɛktɪv/

//pə(ɹ)ˈfɛktɪv// adj

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“perfective” is uncommon English (frequency #98,558 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#98,558
frequency rank, English: 46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of, or relative to, the perfective aspect.

Key facts for perfective
Property	Value
Headword	perfective
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/pə(ɹ)ˈfɛktɪv/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#98,558
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “perfective” 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). perfective lands here:

#98,558

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

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

perfective is uncommon English at frequency #98,558 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /pə(ɹ)ˈfɛktɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for perfective in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From perfect + -ive. The correct English form is perfective, spelled P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-V-E.

Definition

1
Of, or relative to, the perfective aspect.
2
Of, or relative to, a perfect tense.
3
Tending to make perfect, or to bring to perfection.

Etymology

From perfect + -ive.

This word in other languages

perfectivo(Español)perfectif(Français)perfektiv(Deutsch)

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 "perfective"?

"perfective" is spelled P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pə(ɹ)ˈfɛktɪv/.

What does "perfective" mean?

As an adjective, "perfective" means: Of, or relative to, the perfective aspect.

How do you pronounce "perfective"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "perfective" is /pə(ɹ)ˈfɛktɪv/. 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 "perfective"?

From perfect + -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.

Using “perfective”

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

The one correct English spelling is P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /pə(ɹ)ˈfɛktɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.