reductive

/ɹɪˈdʌktɪv/

//ɹɪˈdʌktɪv// adj

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

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

The verdict

“reductive” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,523. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,523
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Pertaining to the reduction of a decree etc.; rescissory.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reductive · reductive · English

reductive · rank #39,523 · 13 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,523
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH redox

Nearest frequency peer: redox (-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 “reductive”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “reductive” 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).

reductive vs reactive
78% similar
reductive vs reduction
78% similar
reductive vs reductase
78% similar

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

Key facts for reductive
PropertyValue
Headwordreductive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɹɪˈdʌktɪv/
Letters9
Frequency rank#39,523
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reductive”

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).reductivelands 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 “redox” (#39,522), “refundable” (#39,524), “redman” (#39,521). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reductive” is #39,523. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around reductive (IPA /ɹɪˈdʌktɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #39,523 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for reductive, with forms such as "erductive", "rdeuctive", and "redcutive". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "reactive", "reduction", "reductase", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French réductif, from Late Latin reductivus, from the participle stem of Latin reducere (“to reduce”). The correct English form is reductive, spelled R-E-D-U-C-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pertaining to the reduction of a decree etc.; rescissory.
  2. 2
    Causing the physical reduction or diminution of something.
  3. 3
    That reduces a substance etc. to a more simple or basic form.
  4. 4
    That can be derived from, or referred back to, something else.
  5. 5
    That reduces an argument, issue etc. to its most basic terms; simplistic, reductionist.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. On the relative reductive powers of different classes of American coals, as demonstrated by the experiments with oxide of lead.
  2. It is likely that the long evolutionary trajectory of Mycoplasma went from a reductive autotroph to oxidative heterotroph to a cell-wall–defective degenerate parasite. This evolutionary trajectory assumes the simplicity to complexity route of biogenesis, a point of view that is not universally accepted.

Etymology

From Middle French réductif, from Late Latin reductivus, from the participle stem of Latin reducere (“to reduce”).

Antonyms

oxidative

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erductive
  • rdeuctive
  • redcutive
  • redductive
  • reducctive
  • reducitve
  • reductiev
  • reductivve
  • reducttive
  • reductvie
  • redutcive
  • reudctive
  • rreductive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of reductive - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

erductive2rdeuctive2redcutive2redductive1reducctive1reducitve2reductiev2reductivve1
Edit distance from "reductive"

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 "reductive"?
"reductive" is spelled R-E-D-U-C-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈdʌktɪv/.
What does "reductive" mean?
As an adjective, "reductive" means: Pertaining to the reduction of a decree etc.; rescissory.
What words are commonly confused with "reductive"?
"reductive" is commonly confused with "reactive", "reduction", "reductase". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reductive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reductive" is /ɹɪˈdʌktɪv/. 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 "reductive"?
From Middle French réductif, from Late Latin reductivus, from the participle stem of Latin reducere (“to reduce”). 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 "reductive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

replaying#39,528reptilian#39,530raindrops#39,513scoreline#39,549

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Southgate13 variantsparalegal13 variantsstrikeout13 variantssurrealist13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list