What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
inflective
Example
In Latin, verbs are highly inflective, changing their endings to indicate tense and subject. [inflective: adjective]
Example
The -s at the end of 'dogs' is an inflective marker indicating plural. [inflective: noun]
grammatical
Example
A grammatical sentence must have a subject and a verb. [grammatical: adjective]
Example
She studied grammar to improve her grammatical skills. [grammatical: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Grammatical is more commonly used than inflective in everyday language. Grammatical is a versatile term that can be applied to any aspect of language, while inflective is more specialized and typically used in the context of specific languages or linguistic features.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between inflective and grammatical?
Both inflective and grammatical can be used in formal and informal contexts. However, inflective may be considered more technical and specialized, while grammatical is more commonly used in everyday language and may be more appropriate in less formal settings.