Which to use
“various” is a determiner and “variously” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #799
- “various” frequency rank
- #22,850
- “variously” frequency rank
- 23649
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | various | variously |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | More than one (of an indeterminate set of things). | In various ways; diversely. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set various and variously 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: various is adeterminer and variouslyanadverb. On the page they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “various” sits inside “variously”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23649, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
various is recorded at frequency rank #799, classified as adet, pronounced /ˈvɛəɹi.əs/. variously is at rank #22,850, tagged as anadv.
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 23649, this pair ranks #407,772 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of various vs variously
Shared letters: aiorsuv. Private to "various": -. Private to "variously": ly.
"various" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVVC · "variously" · 9 letters · shape CVCVVVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "various" and "variously" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "various" or "variously"?
Remembering various vs variously
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a determiner, it's “various”; for an adverb, it's “variously”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “various” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable