repetitive

/ɹɪˈpɛtɪtɪv/

//ɹɪˈpɛtɪtɪv// adj

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

"repetitive" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“repetitive” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,796. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,796
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Happening many times in a similar way; containing repetition; repeating.

Corpus desk

Index EN-repetitive · repetitive · English

repetitive · rank #13,796 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #13,796
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH recycled

Nearest frequency peer: recycled (-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 “repetitive”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “repetitive” 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).

repetitive vs repetition
80% similar

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

Key facts for repetitive
PropertyValue
Headwordrepetitive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɹɪˈpɛtɪtɪv/
Letters10
Frequency rank#13,796
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “repetitive”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).repetitivelands 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 “recycled” (#13,794), “Revelations” (#13,798), “pursuant” (#13,793). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “repetitive” is #13,796. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around repetitive (IPA /ɹɪˈpɛtɪtɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #13,796 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Happening many times in a similar way; containing repetition; repeating.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for repetitive, with forms such as "erpetitive", "reeptitive", and "repeittive". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "repetition", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin repetitus, with the suffix -ive. The correct English form is repetitive, spelled R-E-P-E-T-I-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Happening many times in a similar way; containing repetition; repeating.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The lecture was too repetitive and lost its impact.
  2. He kept repeating the same repetitive tasks without making progress.

Etymology

From Latin repetitus, with the suffix -ive.

Synonyms

recurrentrepetitiousmonotonousperennialrecurringrepeatingrepetitionalrepetitionaryrepetitive

Antonyms

nonrecurrentnonrecurringnonrepeatingnonrepetitional

This word in other languages

repetitivo(Español)répétitif(Français)repetitiv(Deutsch)repetitivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erpetitive
  • reeptitive
  • repeittive
  • repetiitve
  • repetitiev
  • repetitivve
  • repetittive
  • repetitvie
  • repettiive
  • repettitive
  • reppetitive
  • repteitive
  • rpeetitive
  • rrepetitive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of repetitive - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

erpetitive2reeptitive2repeittive2repetiitve2repetitiev2repetitivve1repetittive1repetitvie2
Edit distance from "repetitive"

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 "repetitive"?
"repetitive" is spelled R-E-P-E-T-I-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈpɛtɪtɪv/.
What does "repetitive" mean?
As an adjective, "repetitive" means: Happening many times in a similar way; containing repetition; repeating.
What words are commonly confused with "repetitive"?
"repetitive" is commonly confused with "repetition". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "repetitive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "repetitive" is /ɹɪˈpɛtɪtɪv/. 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 "repetitive"?
From Latin repetitus, with the suffix -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 "repetitive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

psychiatry#13,790programmer#13,787processors#13,786scratching#13,807

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

seriousness14 variantsplanetary14 variantsStevenson14 variantssubmitting14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list