Which to use
“adversely” is an adverb and “adversity” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #20,279
- “adversely” frequency rank
- #17,532
- “adversity” frequency rank
- 37811
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | adversely | adversity |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | In an adverse manner. | The state of adverse conditions; state of misfortune or calamity. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set adversely and adversity apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: adversely is anadverb and adversityanoun. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37811, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
adversely is recorded at frequency rank #20,279, classified as anadv. adversity is at rank #17,532, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ædˈvɜː.sɪ.ti/.
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 37811, this pair ranks #291,305 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of adversely vs adversity
Shared letters: adersvy. Private to "adversely": l. Private to "adversity": it.
"adversely" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCV · "adversity" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "adversely" and "adversity" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "adversely" or "adversity"?
Remembering adversely vs adversity
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “adversely”; for a noun, it's “adversity”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “adversely” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable