sportive

/ˈspɔː(ɹ)tɪv/

//ˈspɔː(ɹ)tɪv// adj

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

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

The verdict

“sportive” is uncommon English (frequency #64,729 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,729
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Lively; merry; spritely.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sportive · sportive · English

sportive · rank #64,729 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #64,729
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Srivastava

Nearest frequency peer: Srivastava (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “sportive”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “sportive” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for sportive
PropertyValue
Headwordsportive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈspɔː(ɹ)tɪv/
Letters8
Frequency rank#64,729
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “sportive” in English

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).sportivefalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “Srivastava” (#64,731), “spect” (#64,725), “stang” (#64,733). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sportive” is #64,729. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

sportive is uncommon English at frequency #64,729 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈspɔː(ɹ)tɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

sportive has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From sport + -ive. The correct English form is sportive, spelled S-P-O-R-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lively; merry; spritely.
  2. 2
    Playful, coltish.
  3. 3
    Interested in sport.
  4. 4
    Sporty, good at sport.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Is it I That drive thee from the sportive court?

Etymology

From sport + -ive.

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 "sportive"?
"sportive" is spelled S-P-O-R-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈspɔː(ɹ)tɪv/.
What does "sportive" mean?
As an adjective, "sportive" means: Lively; merry; spritely.
How do you pronounce "sportive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sportive" is /ˈspɔː(ɹ)tɪv/. 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 "sportive"?
From sport + -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 "sportive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Stauffer#64,737sisterly#64,714Tauranga#64,760scowling#64,691

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list