vindictive
/vɪnˈdɪk.tɪv/
"vindictive" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“vindictive” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,882 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #29,882
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 15
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having a tendency to seek revenge when wronged, vengeful.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | vindictive |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /vɪnˈdɪk.tɪv/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #29,882 |
| Misspellings tracked | 15 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “vindictive” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for vindictive is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /vɪnˈdɪk.tɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,882 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for vindictive, with forms such as "ivndictive", "vidnictive", and "vindcitive". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin vindicta (“vengeance”) + -ive. Contrast Latin vindicātīvus. The correct English form is vindictive, spelled V-I-N-D-I-C-T-I-V-E.
Definition
- 1Having a tendency to seek revenge when wronged, vengeful.
- 2Punitive.
Etymology
From Latin vindicta (“vengeance”) + -ive. Contrast Latin vindicātīvus.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ivndictive,vidnictive,vindcitive,vinddictive,vindicctive,vindicitve,vindictiev,vindictivve,vindicttive,vindictvie,vinditcive,vinidctive,vinndictive,vnidictive,vvindictive
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of vindictive - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "vindictive"?
What does "vindictive" mean?
What are common misspellings of "vindictive"?
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What is the origin of the word "vindictive"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “vindictive”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is V-I-N-D-I-C-T-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /vɪnˈdɪk.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
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.