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 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,729
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Lively; merry; spritely.

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)

Where “sportive” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). sportive lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

sportive is uncommon English at frequency #64,729 among 54,294 “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.

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.

Using “sportive”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-P-O-R-T-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈspɔː(ɹ)tɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list