If you’re stuck between address and adress, the correct spelling in standard English is address. The one-d version adress is simply incorrect in English, even though it shows up a lot in fast typing and form-filling.
The Short Answer
Same spelling for the noun and the verb: it’s always address.
Which Spelling Is Correct
Address is the accepted spelling in English. The variant adress is a misspelling, even when you mean a street location, an email, or a speech.
Correct vs Incorrect
You don’t switch spellings based on meaning. One rule, one spelling: address.
In dictionaries, address is recorded as a standard word with both noun and verb uses, while adress does not appear as a standard English spelling.✅Source
What “Address” Means
The word address is a bit of a multi-tool. In everyday English it can point to a location, a way of speaking, or the act of dealing with something directly.
“Address” As a Noun
- Location: a place where someone can be reached (home, work, business).
- Delivery details: the written directions on mail or a package.
- Formal speech: a prepared talk to an audience.
- Digital location: a web address or an email address.
Pronunciation and Word Forms
Spelling stays fixed as address, but pronunciation can shift a little. Many speakers stress the first syllable for the noun and the second syllable for the verb, and dictionaries often list more than one pronunciation variant.
- Common Forms
- addresses (plural / third-person verb), addressed (past), addressing (-ing form)
- Related Words
- addressee (the person receiving something), addressable (can be addressed or handled)
- Word History (Why the Double “d” Exists)
- The word comes through Middle English and French forms that already carried the double consonant, tied to a sense of “directing” or “making straight.” The modern spelling keeps that historical shape.
That’s why adress doesn’t become “right” in any tense: address, addressed, and addressing all keep the double d.✅Source
Address in Mail and Forms
When people say address, they often mean a postal address: the information that helps a delivery service route something to the right place. The spelling is still address, never adress, no matter how short the form is.
Mailing language you’ll see a lot: delivery address, return address, forwarding address.
These are standard phrases in English, and they all depend on the same base spelling: address.
| Line | What It Usually Contains | Example (Generic) |
|---|---|---|
| Recipient | Name of a person or organization | Jordan Lee |
| Delivery Address Line | Street number + street name (and unit, if needed) | 123 Example Road, Apt 5B |
| Last Line | City + state/region + postal code (format varies by country/region) | Sampletown, ST 12345 |
Postal standards documents describe how address lines are structured and why consistent formatting matters for sorting and delivery.✅Source
Address in Email and the Web
Digital English uses address in the same “where can I reach it?” sense. An email address identifies a mailbox for delivery, and a web address points to a location on the internet. In both cases, the spelling stays address, not adress.
- Email address: commonly shown as a local part, the @ symbol, and a domain.
- Web address: commonly shown as a URL (what you type into a browser).
Technical standards for internet messages formally describe how “address” works inside email headers and message formats, which is why the term address is used so consistently across systems.✅Source
Address in Networking and Computing
In tech, address keeps its core idea: a unique locator. An IP address identifies a device or network endpoint, and a memory address identifies a location where data lives.
Two Common Tech Meanings
Networking
IP address = a numeric identifier used for routing and delivery across networks.
Computing
Memory address = a location reference used to access data in memory.
Organizations responsible for internet number resources describe how IP addressing systems are coordinated globally, including the coexistence of IPv4 and IPv6.✅Source
Common Mistakes To Watch
Most mistakes happen because people drop one d or lose track of endings. The clean rule is still the same: address keeps the double d in every form, while adress stays incorrect.
- ✅ Correct address / ❌ Incorrect adress
- ✅ Correct addresses / ❌ Incorrect adresses
- ✅ Correct addressed / ❌ Incorrect adressed
- ✅ Correct addressing / ❌ Incorrect adressing
- ✅ Correct addressee / ❌ Incorrect adressee
One spelling check that never fails: if you can spot the “dd” in address, you’ll avoid most errors. Adress looks close, but it’s missing a letter that English spelling keeps.
FAQ
Common Questions
Is “adress” ever correct in English?
No. In standard English spelling, address is correct and adress is incorrect. That’s true for mailing, email, web, and speech meanings.
Does the spelling change when “address” is a verb?
It doesn’t change. Whether you address a person, a topic, or an envelope, the spelling stays address with two d’s.
What are the most common correct forms?
The everyday forms are address, addresses, addressed, and addressing. All of them keep the double d.
Why do people misspell it as “adress”?
Usually it’s a fast-typing slip: one letter drops, autocorrect doesn’t catch it, and it “looks” plausible. English spelling still expects address.
Is “address” used for both email and websites?
Yes. Email address and web address are standard phrases. The spelling remains address, never adress, even in tech contexts.
Can “address” mean a speech?
Yes. A formal talk to an audience can be called an address. Same spelling, same double d.