transitive

/ˈtɹænzɪtɪv/

//ˈtɹænzɪtɪv// adj

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

"transitive" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“transitive” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,133. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,133
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Making a transit or passage.

Corpus desk

Index EN-transitive · transitive · English

transitive · rank #39,133 · 15 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #39,133
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tranquillity

Nearest frequency peer: tranquillity (-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 “transitive”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “transitive” 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).

transitive vs transition
80% similar

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

Key facts for transitive
PropertyValue
Headwordtransitive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈtɹænzɪtɪv/
Letters10
Frequency rank#39,133
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “transitive”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “tranquillity” (#39,132), “trickling” (#39,134), “toothache” (#39,131). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “transitive” is #39,133. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around transitive (IPA /ˈtɹænzɪtɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #39,133 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for transitive, with forms such as "rtansitive", "tarnsitive", and "tranistive". 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, "transition", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin trānsitīvus, from trānsitus, from trāns (“across”) + itus, from eō (“to go”). The correct English form is transitive, spelled T-R-A-N-S-I-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Making a transit or passage.
  2. 2
    Affected by transference of signification.
  3. 3
    Taking a direct object or objects.
  4. 4
    Having the property that if an element a is related to b and b is related to c, then a is necessarily related to c.
  5. 5
    Such that, for any two elements of the acted-upon set, some group element maps the first to the second.
  6. 6
    Such that, for any two vertices there exists an automorphism which maps one to the other.
  7. 7
    Of a set of dice: not having the intransitive property.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. For all symbols are fluxional; all language is vehicular and transitive, and is good, as ferries and horses are, for conveyance, not as farms and houses are, for homestead.
  2. By far the greater part of the transitive or derivative applications of words depend on casual and unaccountable caprices of the feelings or the fancy.

Etymology

From Latin trānsitīvus, from trānsitus, from trāns (“across”) + itus, from eō (“to go”).

This word in other languages

transitivo(Español)transitif(Français)transitiv(Deutsch)transitivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rtansitive
  • tarnsitive
  • tranistive
  • trannsitive
  • transiitve
  • transitiev
  • transitivve
  • transittive
  • transitvie
  • transsitive
  • transtiive
  • trasnitive
  • trnasitive
  • trransitive
  • ttransitive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of transitive - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

rtansitive2tarnsitive2tranistive2trannsitive1transiitve2transitiev2transitivve1transittive1
Edit distance from "transitive"

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 "transitive"?
"transitive" is spelled T-R-A-N-S-I-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹænzɪtɪv/.
What does "transitive" mean?
As an adjective, "transitive" means: Making a transit or passage.
What words are commonly confused with "transitive"?
"transitive" is commonly confused with "transition". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "transitive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "transitive" is /ˈtɹænzɪtɪv/. 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 "transitive"?
From Latin trānsitīvus, from trānsitus, from trāns (“across”) + itus, from eō (“to go”). 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 "transitive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Tupperware#39,137Willamette#39,164singularly#39,090acrobatics#39,179

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

trickling15 variantsunaffiliated15 variantssphincter15 variantsscrutinize15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list