Which to use
“average” is a noun and “averse” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #704
- “average” frequency rank
- #26,688
- “averse” frequency rank
- 27392
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | average | averse |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Any measure of central tendency, especially any mean, the median, or the mode. | Having a repugnance or opposition of mind. |
Where the eye mixes average and averse
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses average with averse
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: average is /ˈæv.(ə.)ɹɪd͡ʒ/ while averse is /əˈvɜː(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 (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27392, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
average is recorded at frequency rank #704, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈæv.(ə.)ɹɪd͡ʒ/. 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 27392, this pair ranks #379,279 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of average vs averse
Shared letters: aerv. Private to "average": g. Private to "averse": s.
"average" · 7 letters · shape VCVCVCV · "averse" · 6 letters · shape VCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "average" for "averse" ever safe?
Frequency check: "average" vs "averse" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "average" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "averse" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #379,279 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "average" and "averse" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "averse vs averted". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #379,279 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.