positive

/ˈpɑzɪtɪv/

//ˈpɑzɪtɪv// adj

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

"positive" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“positive” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,109 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,109
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Included, present, characterized by affirmation.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

positive vs punitive
75% similar
positive vs positively
80% similar
positive vs position
75% similar

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

Key facts for positive
PropertyValue
Headwordpositive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpɑzɪtɪv/
Letters8
Frequency rank#1,109
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “positive” 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). positive 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 positive is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɑzɪtɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,109 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 24 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for positive, with forms such as "opsitive", "poistive", and "posiitve". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "punitive", "positively", "position", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French positif, from Latin positivus, from the past participle stem of ponere (“to place”). Compare posit. The correct English form is positive, spelled P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Included, present, characterized by affirmation.
  2. 2
    Formally laid down.
  3. 3
    Stated definitively and without qualification.
  4. 4
    Fully assured in opinion.
  5. 5
    Greater than zero.
  6. 6
    Greater than or equal to zero.
  7. 7
    Characterized by constructiveness or influence for the better.
  8. 8
    Overconfident, dogmatic.
  9. 9
    Actual, real, concrete, not theoretical or speculative.
  10. 10
    Having more protons than electrons.
  11. 11
    Describing the primary sense of an adjective, adverb or noun; not comparative, superlative, augmentative nor diminutive.
  12. 12
    Describing a verb that is not negated, especially in languages which have distinct positive and negative verb forms, e.g., Finnish.
  13. 13
    Derived from an object by itself; not dependent on changing circumstances or relations.
  14. 14
    Characterized by the existence or presence of distinguishing qualities or features, rather than by their absence.
  15. 15
    Characterized by the presence of features which support a hypothesis.
  16. 16
    Confirmed, straight-up.
  17. 17
    Of a visual image, true to the original in light, shade and colour values.
  18. 18
    Favorable, desirable by those interested or invested in that which is being judged.
  19. 19
    Wholly what is expressed; colloquially downright, entire, outright.
  20. 20
    Optimistic.
  21. 21
    electropositive
  22. 22
    basic; metallic; not acid; opposed to negative, and said of metals, bases, and basic radicals.
  23. 23
    HIV positive.
  24. 24
    Good, desirable, healthful, pleasant, enjoyable.

Etymology

From Old French positif, from Latin positivus, from the past participle stem of ponere (“to place”). Compare posit.

This word in other languages

positivo(Español)positif(Français)positiv(Deutsch)positivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opsitive,poistive,posiitve,positiev,positivve,posittive,positvie,possitive,postiive,ppositive,psoitive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opsitive2poistive2posiitve2positiev2positivve1posittive1positvie2possitive1
Edit distance from "positive"

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 "positive"?
"positive" is spelled P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɑzɪtɪv/.
What does "positive" mean?
As an adjective, "positive" means: Included, present, characterized by affirmation.
What words are commonly confused with "positive"?
"positive" is commonly confused with "punitive", "positively", "position". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "positive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "positive" is /ˈpɑzɪtɪv/. 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 "positive"?
From Old French positif, from Latin positivus, from the past participle stem of ponere (“to place”). Compare posit. 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 “positive”

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

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