add

/æd/

//æd// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"add" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“add” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #840 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#840
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To join or unite (e.g. one thing to another, or as several particulars) so as to increase the number, augment the quantity, or enlarge the magnitude, or so as to form into one aggregate.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

add vs as
33% similar
add vs at
33% similar
add vs an
33% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for add
PropertyValue
Headwordadd
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/æd/
Letters3
Frequency rank#840
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “add” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). add lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for add is 3 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /æd/. Corpus data places it at rank #840 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for add, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "as", "at", "an", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English adden, from Latin addō (“add, give unto”). The correct English form is add, spelled A-D-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To join or unite (e.g. one thing to another, or as several particulars) so as to increase the number, augment the quantity, or enlarge the magnitude, or so as to form into one aggregate.
  2. 2
    To sum up; to put together mentally; to add up.
  3. 3
    To combine elements of (something) into one quantity.
  4. 4
    To give by way of increased possession (to someone); to bestow (on).
  5. 5
    To append (e.g. a statement); to say further information.
  6. 6
    To intensify; to augment; to increase.
  7. 7
    To perform the arithmetical operation of addition.
  8. 8
    To summon minions or reinforcements.
  9. 9
    To add someone as a friend.

Etymology

From Middle English adden, from Latin addō (“add, give unto”).

Synonyms

annexadd upsumbestowgivecoalescejoinunitementionnoteaugmentincreaseaddlendappendtack

Antonyms

subtractremove

This word in other languages

añadir(Español)ajouter(Français)hinzufügen(Deutsch)acrescentar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "add"?
"add" is spelled A-D-D. The IPA pronunciation is /æd/.
What does "add" mean?
As a verb, "add" means: To join or unite (e.g. one thing to another, or as several particulars) so as to increase the number, augment the quantity, or enlarge the magnitude, or so as to form into one aggregate.
What words are commonly confused with "add"?
"add" is commonly confused with "as", "at", "an". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "add"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "add" is /æd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "add"?
From Middle English adden, from Latin addō (“add, give unto”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “add”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-D-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /æd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “as” - see the side-by-side comparison. add vs as
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list