adverb

/ˈæd.vɜːb/

//ˈæd.vɜːb// noun

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

"adverb" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“adverb” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,754. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,754
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A word that modifies a verb, adjective, other adverbs, or various other types of words, phrases, or clauses.

Corpus desk

Index EN-adverb · adverb · English

adverb · rank #49,754 · 9 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #49,754
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH adorning

Nearest frequency peer: adorning (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “adverb”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “adverb” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

adverb vs Avery
50% similar
adverb vs avert
67% similar
adverb vs advert
83% similar

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

Key facts for adverb
PropertyValue
Headwordadverb
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæd.vɜːb/
Letters6
Frequency rank#49,754
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “adverb”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “adorning” (#49,753), “Adelphi” (#49,752), “acrimonious” (#49,751). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “adverb” is #49,754. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around adverb (IPA /ˈæd.vɜːb/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #49,754 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for adverb, with forms such as "addverb", "adevrb", and "advebr". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "Avery", "avert", "advert", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French adverbe, from Latin adverbium, from ad- (“to”) + verbum (“word, verb”), so called because it is used to supplement other words. By surface analysis, ad- + verb. The correct English form is adverb, spelled A-D-V-E-R-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    A word that modifies a verb, adjective, other adverbs, or various other types of words, phrases, or clauses.
  2. 2
    In the Raku programming language, a named parameter that modifies the behavior of a routine.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how adverb appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. 322. The parts of speech which are neither declined nor conjugated, are called by the general name of particles. 323. They are adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.
  2. ‘Fortunately your papa appreciates it; he appreciates it immensely’—that was one of the things Miss Overmore also said, with a striking insistence on the adverb.

Etymology

From French adverbe, from Latin adverbium, from ad- (“to”) + verbum (“word, verb”), so called because it is used to supplement other words. By surface analysis, ad- + verb.

This word in other languages

adverbio(Español)adverbe(Français)Adverb(Deutsch)advérbio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • addverb
  • adevrb
  • advebr
  • adverbb
  • adverrb
  • advreb
  • advverb
  • avderb
  • daverb

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

addverb1adevrb2advebr2adverbb1adverrb1advreb2advverb1avderb2
Edit distance from "adverb"

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 "adverb"?
"adverb" is spelled A-D-V-E-R-B. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæd.vɜːb/.
What does "adverb" mean?
As a noun, "adverb" means: A word that modifies a verb, adjective, other adverbs, or various other types of words, phrases, or clauses.
What words are commonly confused with "adverb"?
"adverb" is commonly confused with "Avery", "avert", "advert". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "adverb"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "adverb" is /ˈæd.vɜːb/. 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 "adverb"?
From French adverbe, from Latin adverbium, from ad- (“to”) + verbum (“word, verb”), so called because it is used to supplement other words. By surface analysis, ad- + verb. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "adverb", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

abides#49,748Almaty#49,760Ashoka#49,766Bamako#49,774

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

vernal9 variantsUyghur9 variantsBurney9 variantsunwrap9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list