Which to use
“adhere” is a verb and “adverse” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13,452
- “adhere” frequency rank
- #8,382
- “adverse” frequency rank
- 21834
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | adhere | adverse |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To stick fast or cleave, as a glutinous substance does; to become joined or united. | Unfavorable; antagonistic in purpose or effect; hostile; actively opposing one's interests or wishes; contrary to one's welfare; acting against; working in an opposing direction. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set adhere and adverse apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: adhere is /ædˈhɪə/ while adverse is /ˈæd.və(ɹ)s/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21834, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
adhere is recorded at frequency rank #13,452, classified as averb, pronounced /ædˈhɪə/. adverse is at rank #8,382, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈæd.və(ɹ)s/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 21834, this pair ranks #421,009 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of adhere vs adverse
Shared letters: ader. Private to "adhere": h. Private to "adverse": sv.
"adhere" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "adverse" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "adhere" and "adverse" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "adhere" or "adverse"?
Remembering adhere vs adverse
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “adhere”; for an adjective, it's “adverse”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “adhere” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable