tentative

/ˈtɛntətɪv/

//ˈtɛntətɪv// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tentative” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,148. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,148
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A trial; an experiment; an attempt.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tentative · tentative · English

tentative · rank #16,148 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #16,148
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH synagogue

Nearest frequency peer: synagogue (-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 “tentative”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tentative” 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).

tentative vs tentatively
82% similar

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

Key facts for tentative
PropertyValue
Headwordtentative
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɛntətɪv/
Letters9
Frequency rank#16,148
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tentative”

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).tentativelands 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 “synagogue” (#16,147), “texted” (#16,149), “swimmers” (#16,146). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tentative” is #16,148. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around tentative (IPA /ˈtɛntətɪv/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,148 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for tentative, with forms such as "etntative", "tenattive", and "tenntative". 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, "tentatively", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin tentātīvus (“trying, testing”), from tentō, past participle tentātus (“to try, test”); see tent, tempt. The correct English form is tentative, spelled T-E-N-T-A-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A trial; an experiment; an attempt.
  2. 2
    A schedule for an event or a programme.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin tentātīvus (“trying, testing”), from tentō, past participle tentātus (“to try, test”); see tent, tempt.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etntative
  • tenattive
  • tenntative
  • tentaitve
  • tentatiev
  • tentativve
  • tentattive
  • tentatvie
  • tenttaive
  • tenttative
  • tetnative
  • tnetative
  • ttentative

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etntative2tenattive2tenntative1tentaitve2tentatiev2tentativve1tentattive1tentatvie2
Edit distance from "tentative"

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 "tentative"?
"tentative" is spelled T-E-N-T-A-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛntətɪv/.
What does "tentative" mean?
As a noun, "tentative" means: A trial; an experiment; an attempt.
What words are commonly confused with "tentative"?
"tentative" is commonly confused with "tentatively". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tentative"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tentative" is /ˈtɛntətɪv/. 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 "tentative"?
From Medieval Latin tentātīvus (“trying, testing”), from tentō, past participle tentātus (“to try, test”); see tent, tempt. 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 "tentative", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

synagogue#16,147statistic#16,137acquitted#16,170admiralty#16,171

Similar misspelling depth

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

blending13 variantsblindness13 variantsburglary13 variantspatronage13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list