Adele

/əˈdɛl/

//əˈdɛl// name

"adele" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Adele” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,947 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#15,947
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A female given name from the Germanic languages.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Adele vs ale
40% similar
Adele vs ADL
20% similar
Adele vs axle
40% similar

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

Key facts for Adele
PropertyValue
HeadwordAdele
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/əˈdɛl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#15,947
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Adele” 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). Adele 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 Adele is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈdɛl/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,947 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A female given name from the Germanic languages.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for Adele, with forms such as "addele", "adeel", and "adelle". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ale", "ADL", "axle", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French Adèle, equivalent of Adela, from a Germanic root meaning “noble”. Compare athel, German edel, Old English æþele. The correct English form is Adele, spelled A-D-E-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A female given name from the Germanic languages.

Etymology

Borrowed from French Adèle, equivalent of Adela, from a Germanic root meaning “noble”. Compare athel, German edel, Old English æþele.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: addele,adeel,adelle,adlee,aedle,daele

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Adele - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

addele1adeel2adelle1adlee2aedle2daele2
Edit distance from "Adele"

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 "Adele"?
"Adele" is spelled A-D-E-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈdɛl/.
What does "Adele" mean?
As a proper noun, "Adele" means: A female given name from the Germanic languages.
What words are commonly confused with "Adele"?
"Adele" is commonly confused with "ale", "ADL", "axle". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Adele"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Adele" is /əˈdɛl/. 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 "Adele"?
Borrowed from French Adèle, equivalent of Adela, from a Germanic root meaning “noble”. Compare athel, German edel, Old English æþele. 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 “Adele”

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

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