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If a word has a certain property, I call it an Adjacent Word™.

In each of the short, unrelated sentences below, only one of the choices is an Adjacent Word™.

The sentences are for context only, and do not affect whether a word is an Adjacent Word™. Also, neither font nor case matters in determining the property.

  1. ( Additionally / Furthermore ), we now have a dog!
  2. He is concerned about ( overfishing / overharvesting ) the oceans.
  3. She prefers to use ( margarine / shortening ) in her cookies.
  4. She saved it in a new Excel ( workbook / worksheet ).
  5. He loved the ( ancient / prehistoric ) buildings.
  6. They ( thawed / unfroze ) their TV dinners.
  7. They offered the most ( comprehensive / expansive ) news coverage.
  8. They saw that the danger was ( avoidable / preventable ).
  9. They committed an ( unforgivable / unpardonable ) sin.
  10. She just bought her first ( condominium / townhouse ).
  11. The most difficult verbs to learn are ( irregulars / reflexives ).

What makes a word an Adjacent Word™?

Bonus: If you have solved one of my Phrase™ or Word™ puzzles before (Deusovi, Rodolvertice, CodeNewbie, xnor, Sean, glibdud, f", dperry), and you solve this one, you will be the first person to solve more than one of these types of puzzles of mine, and you will receive 100 rep points from me, on top of any other points that this puzzle might give (i.e. It might also have a regular bounty on it if it lasts long enough.)

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    $\begingroup$ I really enjoy these, even though I can never solve them $\endgroup$
    – warspyking
    Commented Aug 4, 2015 at 19:27
  • $\begingroup$ @warspyking Thanks. Stay positive. You could very well get this one! $\endgroup$
    – JLee
    Commented Aug 4, 2015 at 19:27
  • $\begingroup$ Haha, I doubt it. :P $\endgroup$
    – warspyking
    Commented Aug 4, 2015 at 19:30
  • $\begingroup$ There needs to be a tag for JLee's puzzles, jlee, so we can get a feed... $\endgroup$
    – Joe
    Commented Aug 5, 2015 at 16:32
  • $\begingroup$ I'm so puzzled how you can come up with such things. How do you possibly find that many words that work out?! I'm amazed! $\endgroup$
    – Maverick283
    Commented Aug 6, 2015 at 11:42

3 Answers 3

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An adjacent word is a word which:

Can have, from its letters, two different numbers built which are adjacent integers.

Explanation:

Additionally/Furthermore: From the letters in "furthermore" one may build both "three" and "four", adjacent integers. This cannot be done with "additionally".

Overfishing/Overharvesting: From the letters in "overharvesting" one may build "seven" and "eight". Can't be done with "overfishing", which only permits "one" and "five".

Margarine/Shortening: From "shortening" one may build "nine" and "ten".

Workbook/Worksheet: "worksheet" builds "two" and "three"

Ancient/Prehistoric: "ancient" builds "nine" and "ten"

Thawed/Unfroze: "unfroze" builds "zero" and "one"

Comprehensive/Expansive: "expansive" builds "six" and "seven"

Avoidable/Preventable: "preventable" builds "ten" and "eleven"

Unforgivable/Unpardonable: "unforgivable" builds "four" and "five"

Condominium/Townhouse: "townhouse" builds "one" and "two"

Irregulars/Reflexives: "reflexives" builds "five" and "six"

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    $\begingroup$ didn't see this one before I posted, but I'll leave mine mostly as I already typed out all the words. $\endgroup$
    – OpiesDad
    Commented Aug 4, 2015 at 21:55
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It contains the letters of a number written out.

This answer is incomplete. See commando's solution.

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    $\begingroup$ these puzzles have a funny way of inspiring first answers that are on the right general track, which lead to someone else posting the correct answer, and the people who got the largest percentage of the puzzle many times don't get the accepted final answer. $\endgroup$
    – JLee
    Commented Aug 4, 2015 at 21:29
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Credit goes to xnor for finding the main part of this, but:

the adjacent numbers contain TWO consecutive numbers spelled out:
Furthermore -> Three, Four
Overharvesting -> Seven, Eight
Shortening -> Eight, Nine
Worksheet -> Two, Three
Ancient -> Nine, Ten
Unfroze -> Zero, One
Expansive -> Six, Seven
Preventable -> Ten, Eleven
Unforgivable -> Four, Five
Townhouse -> One, Two
Reflexives -> Five, Six

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    $\begingroup$ overharvesting should be seven, eight , otherwise you reuse a same letter for the same number... $\endgroup$
    – Spacemonkey
    Commented Aug 4, 2015 at 21:57
  • $\begingroup$ Good point. edited. $\endgroup$
    – OpiesDad
    Commented Aug 4, 2015 at 22:01

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