address

/əˈdɹɛs/

//əˈdɹɛs// noun

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

"address" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“address” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,291 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,291
frequency rank, English
7
letters
7
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Direction.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

address vs Andres
57% similar
address vs Andrews
57% similar
address vs Andreas
57% similar

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

Key facts for address
PropertyValue
Headwordaddress
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈdɹɛs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,291
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “address” 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). address 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 address is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈdɹɛs/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,291 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for address, with forms such as "adderss", "addres", and "addrress". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "Andres", "Andrews", "Andreas", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Old French a- Proto-Italic *dwizrektos Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti Proto-Italic *dwizregō Vulgar Latin dīrigō Vulgar Latin dīrēctus Proto-Ind… The correct English form is address, spelled A-D-D-R-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Direction.
  2. 2
    Direction.
  3. 3
    Direction.
  4. 4
    Direction.
  5. 5
    Direction.
  6. 6
    Direction.
  7. 7
    Direction.
  8. 8
    Direction.
  9. 9
    Direction.
  10. 10
    Direction.
  11. 11
    Preparation.
  12. 12
    Preparation.
  13. 13
    Preparation.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Old French a- Proto-Italic *dwizrektos Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti Proto-Italic *dwizregō Vulgar Latin dīrigō Vulgar Latin dīrēctus Proto-Indo-European *-yetider. Vulgar Latin -iāre Vulgar Latin *dīrēctiāre Old French drecier Old French adrecierbor. Middle English adressen English address From Middle English adressen (“to raise erect, adorn”), from Old French adrecier (“to straighten, address”) (modern French adresser), from Proto-Romance *addīrēctiāre, from ad- (“to; towards”) + *dīrēctiāre (“to guide; to direct”), from Latin dīrēctus (“straight; right”), from dīrigō (“to lay straight; to direct”), itself from regō (“to govern, to rule”). Cognate with Spanish aderezar (“to garnish; dress (food); to add spices”).

This word in other languages

dirección(Español)langage(Français)Ansprache(Deutsch)discurso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: adderss,addres,addrress,addrses,adrdess,adress,dadress

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of address - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

adderss2addres1addrress1addrses2adrdess2adress1dadress2
Edit distance from "address"

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 "address"?
"address" is spelled A-D-D-R-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈdɹɛs/.
What does "address" mean?
As a noun, "address" means: Direction.
What words are commonly confused with "address"?
"address" is commonly confused with "Andres", "Andrews", "Andreas". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "address"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "address" is /əˈdɹɛs/. 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 "address"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Old French a- Proto-Italic *dwizrektos Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti Proto-Italic *dwizregō Vulgar Latin dīrigō Vulgar Latin dīrēctus... 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 “address”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-D-D-R-E-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈdɹɛs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Andres” - see the side-by-side comparison. address vs Andres
  • 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