restrictive

/ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪv/

//ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪv// adj

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

"restrictive" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“restrictive” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,203. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,203
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Confining, limiting, containing within defined bounds.

Corpus desk

Index EN-restrictive · restrictive · English

restrictive · rank #14,203 · 17 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #14,203
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH robotic

Nearest frequency peer: robotic (+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 “restrictive”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “restrictive” 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).

restrictive vs restriction
82% similar

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

Key facts for restrictive
PropertyValue
Headwordrestrictive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪv/
Letters11
Frequency rank#14,203
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “restrictive”

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).restrictivelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “robotic” (#14,204), “runaway” (#14,205), “reboot” (#14,200). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “restrictive” is #14,203. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around restrictive (IPA /ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #14,203 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for restrictive, with forms such as "erstrictive", "resrtictive", and "resstrictive". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "restriction", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French restrictif. Morphologically restrict + -ive. The correct English form is restrictive, spelled R-E-S-T-R-I-C-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Confining, limiting, containing within defined bounds.
  2. 2
    limiting free and easy bodily movement.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The help tended to be officious, the rules, if heeded, restrictive, and the management meddlesome.
  2. The pinnacle of the effort to fix restrictive meanings to a set of terminology can be found in two papers in American Speech by Feinsilver (1979, 1980).

Etymology

From Middle French restrictif. Morphologically restrict + -ive.

This word in other languages

restrictif(Français)einschränkend(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erstrictive
  • resrtictive
  • resstrictive
  • restirctive
  • restrcitive
  • restricctive
  • restricitve
  • restrictiev
  • restrictivve
  • restricttive
  • restrictvie
  • restritcive
  • restrrictive
  • resttrictive
  • retsrictive
  • rrestrictive
  • rsetrictive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erstrictive2resrtictive2resstrictive1restirctive2restrcitive2restricctive1restricitve2restrictiev2
Edit distance from "restrictive"

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 "restrictive"?
"restrictive" is spelled R-E-S-T-R-I-C-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪv/.
What does "restrictive" mean?
As an adjective, "restrictive" means: Confining, limiting, containing within defined bounds.
What words are commonly confused with "restrictive"?
"restrictive" is commonly confused with "restriction". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "restrictive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "restrictive" is /ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪv/. 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 "restrictive"?
From Middle French restrictif. Morphologically restrict + -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 "restrictive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stimulating#14,229unrealistic#14,243whereabouts#14,253interpreter#14,145

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

neurological17 variantsempowerment17 variantsdescriptive17 variantsconsolation17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list