# address

> English word · Noun · IPA /əˈdɹɛs/ · frequency rank #1,291

## Definitions
1. Direction.
2. Direction.
3. Direction.
4. Direction.
5. Direction.
6. Direction.
7. Direction.
8. Direction.
9. Direction.
10. Direction.
11. Preparation.
12. Preparation.
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”).

## Easily confused with
- **Andres** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/address-vs-andres)
- **Andrews** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/address-vs-andrews)
- **Andreas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/address-vs-andreas)
- **addressed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/address-vs-addressed)
- **addresses** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/address-vs-addresses)
- **actress** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/actress-vs-address)

## Common misspellings (7)
`adderss`, `addres`, `addrress`, `addrses`, `adrdess`, `adress`, `dadress`

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