Which to use
“averse” is an adjective and “avert” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #26,688
- “averse” frequency rank
- #24,090
- “avert” frequency rank
- 50778
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | averse | avert |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Having a repugnance or opposition of mind. | To turn aside or away. |
Where the eye mixes averse and avert
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between averse and avert
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: averse is /əˈvɜː(ɹ)s/ while avert is /əˈvɝt/. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50778, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
averse is recorded at frequency rank #26,688, classified as anadj, pronounced /əˈvɜː(ɹ)s/. avert is at rank #24,090, tagged as averb, pronounced /əˈvɝt/.
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 50778, this pair ranks #171,230 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of averse vs avert
Shared letters: aerv. Private to "averse": s. Private to "avert": t.
"averse" · 6 letters · shape VCVCCV · "avert" · 5 letters · shape VCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "averse" and "avert" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary English text, does "averse" or "avert" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "averse" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "avert" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #171,230 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "averse" and "avert" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "adverb vs avert". 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 #171,230 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.