sensitive

/ˈsɛn.sɪt.ɪv/

//ˈsɛn.sɪt.ɪv// adj

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

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

The verdict

“sensitive” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,258. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,258
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having the faculty of sensation; pertaining to the senses.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sensitive · sensitive · English

sensitive · rank #3,258 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,258
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH ridiculous

Nearest frequency peer: ridiculous (-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 “sensitive”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sensitive” 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
Key facts for sensitive
PropertyValue
Headwordsensitive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsɛn.sɪt.ɪv/
Letters9
Frequency rank#3,258
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sensitive”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).sensitivelands 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 “ridiculous” (#3,257), “server” (#3,259), “reaching” (#3,256). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sensitive” is #3,258. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around sensitive (IPA /ˈsɛn.sɪt.ɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #3,258 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for sensitive, with forms such as "esnsitive", "senistive", and "sennsitive". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French sensitif, from Medieval Latin sensitivus. The correct English form is sensitive, spelled S-E-N-S-I-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having the faculty of sensation; pertaining to the senses.
  2. 2
    Responsive to stimuli.
  3. 3
    Easily offended, upset, or hurt.
  4. 4
    Capable of offending, upsetting, or hurting.
  5. 5
    Meant to be concealed or kept secret.
  6. 6
    Being aware of the feelings of others and taking care not to offend them.
  7. 7
    Important, intricate, and requiring great delicacy.
  8. 8
    Accurate; able to register small changes in some property.
  9. 9
    Having paranormal abilities that can be controlled through mesmerism.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The sensitive faculty most part overrules reason, the soul is carried hoodwinked, and the understanding captive like a beast.
  2. The engine seemed a little sensitive to wet rails, and in consequence the uphill work was not so good north of Dundee as it had been earlier. But I have noted this same "touchiness" on the part of the "A4s", and other modern British 4-6-2s, so that in this respect No. 2006 proved no exception.

Etymology

From Middle French sensitif, from Medieval Latin sensitivus.

Synonyms

awarecaringclassifiedcompassionateneshprecisetender

Antonyms

insensitivenonsensitiveresistantstoicuncaring

This word in other languages

sensible(Español)sensible(Français)empfindlich(Deutsch)sensível(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • esnsitive
  • senistive
  • sennsitive
  • sensiitve
  • sensitiev
  • sensitivve
  • sensittive
  • sensitvie
  • senssitive
  • senstiive
  • sesnitive
  • snesitive
  • ssensitive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

esnsitive2senistive2sennsitive1sensiitve2sensitiev2sensitivve1sensittive1sensitvie2
Edit distance from "sensitive"

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 "sensitive"?
"sensitive" is spelled S-E-N-S-I-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛn.sɪt.ɪv/.
What does "sensitive" mean?
As an adjective, "sensitive" means: Having the faculty of sensation; pertaining to the senses.
What are common misspellings of "sensitive"?
Common misspellings include "esnsitive", "senistive", "sennsitive", "sensiitve", "sensitiev". The correct spelling is "sensitive".
How do you pronounce "sensitive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sensitive" is /ˈsɛn.sɪt.ɪv/. 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 "sensitive"?
From Middle French sensitif, from Medieval Latin sensitivus. 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 "sensitive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

qualified#3,254processes#3,252offensive#3,247locations#3,242

Similar misspelling depth

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

alongside13 variantscontained13 variantselsewhere13 variantscontrast13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list