Which to use
“adverse” and “averse” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,382
- “adverse” frequency rank
- #26,688
- “averse” frequency rank
- 35070
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | adverse | averse |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 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. | Having a repugnance or opposition of mind. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set adverse and averse apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. adverse (/ˈæd.və(ɹ)s/) and averse (/əˈvɜː(ɹ)s/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35070, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
adverse is recorded at frequency rank #8,382, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈæd.və(ɹ)s/. averse is at rank #26,688, tagged as anadj, pronounced /əˈvɜː(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 35070, this pair ranks #315,159 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of adverse vs averse
Shared letters: aersv. Private to "adverse": d. Private to "averse": -.
"adverse" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV · "averse" · 6 letters · shape VCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "adverse" and "averse" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "adverse" or "averse"?
Remembering adverse vs averse
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “adverse” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable