# inadequate vs inadequately

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### inadequate
*adjective · IPA /ɪnˈædəkwɪt/ · frequency rank #9,348*
Not adequate; lacking in quality or quantity required; insufficient for a purpose.

### inadequately
*adverb · frequency rank #47,114*
In an inadequate manner.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/inadequate-vs-inadequately