Which to use
“diverge” is a verb and “divers” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #35,692
- “diverge” frequency rank
- #12,407
- “divers” frequency rank
- 48099
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | diverge | divers |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To run apart; to separate; to tend into different directions. | plural of diver |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set diverge and divers 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: diverge is /daɪˈvɜːd͡ʒ/ while divers is /ˈdaɪvə(ɹ)z/. 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 noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48099, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
diverge is recorded at frequency rank #35,692, classified as averb, pronounced /daɪˈvɜːd͡ʒ/. divers is at rank #12,407, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈdaɪvə(ɹ)z/.
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 48099, this pair ranks #196,281 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of diverge vs divers
Shared letters: deirv. Private to "diverge": g. Private to "divers": s.
"diverge" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "divers" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "diverge" and "divers" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "diverge" or "divers"?
Remembering diverge vs divers
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “diverge”; for a noun, it's “divers”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “diverge” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable