averse

/əˈvɜː(ɹ)s/

//əˈvɜː(ɹ)s// adj

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

The verdict

“averse” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,688. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,688
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having a repugnance or opposition of mind.

Corpus desk

Index EN-averse · averse · English

averse · rank #26,688 · 8 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,688
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Ascot

Nearest frequency peer: Ascot (-2 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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “averse”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “averse” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

averse vs Avery
50% similar
averse vs avert
67% similar
averse vs averted
71% similar

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

Key facts for averse
PropertyValue
Headwordaverse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əˈvɜː(ɹ)s/
Letters6
Frequency rank#26,688
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “averse” sits in English frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).averselands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Ascot” (#26,686), “Armani” (#26,685), “BDS” (#26,691). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around averse (IPA /əˈvɜː(ɹ)s/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #26,688 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for averse, with forms such as "aevrse", "averes", and "averrse". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "Avery", "avert", "averted", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin aversus, past participle of avertere (“to avert”). The correct English form is averse, spelled A-V-E-R-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having a repugnance or opposition of mind.
  2. 2
    Turned away or backward.
  3. 3
    Lying on the opposite side (to or from).
  4. 4
    Aversant; of a hand: turned so as to show the back.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. “I assure you, cousin,” replied the old gentleman, “that the Baron, notwithstanding his unpleasant manner, […] is not, after all, so bad as you make him out to be; and further, I should like to know why you are so averse to him.”
  2. This is why the most eminent intellects have always been strongly averse to any kind of disturbance, interruption and distraction, and above everything to that violent interruption which is caused by noise; other people do not take any particular notice of this sort of thing.

Etymology

From Latin aversus, past participle of avertere (“to avert”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aevrse
  • averes
  • averrse
  • aversse
  • avesre
  • avrese
  • avverse
  • vaerse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aevrse2averes2averrse1aversse1avesre2avrese2avverse1vaerse2
Edit distance from "averse"

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 "averse"?
"averse" is spelled A-V-E-R-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈvɜː(ɹ)s/.
What does "averse" mean?
As an adjective, "averse" means: Having a repugnance or opposition of mind.
What words are commonly confused with "averse"?
"averse" is commonly confused with "Avery", "avert", "averted". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "averse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "averse" is /əˈvɜː(ɹ)s/. 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 "averse"?
From Latin aversus, past participle of avertere (“to avert”). 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 "averse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

What to do next

You've looked up "averse". Here's where to go from here.

  • "averse" maps to 8 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "Avery". View pair
  • 8 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #26,688 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "A" letter cohort. A–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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