absolve

/əbˈzɒlv/

//əbˈzɒlv// verb

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

"absolve" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“absolve” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,601. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,601
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To set free, release or discharge (from obligations, debts, responsibility etc.).

Corpus desk

Index EN-absolve · absolve · English

absolve · rank #35,601 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,601
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH abed

Nearest frequency peer: abed (-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 “absolve”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “absolve” 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).

absolve vs above
71% similar
absolve vs absolute
75% similar

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

Key facts for absolve
PropertyValue
Headwordabsolve
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əbˈzɒlv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#35,601
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “absolve”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).absolvelands 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 “abed” (#35,600), “Acapulco” (#35,602), “A8” (#35,598). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “absolve” is #35,601. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around absolve (IPA /əbˈzɒlv/), averb. Corpus frequency is #35,601 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for absolve, with forms such as "abbsolve", "aboslve", and "abslove". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "above", "absolute", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in the early 15th century. From Middle English absolven, from Latin absolvere (“set free, acquit”), from ab (“away from”) + solvō (“loosen, free, release”). Doublet of assoil. The correct English form is absolve, spelled A-B-S-O-L-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To set free, release or discharge (from obligations, debts, responsibility etc.).
  2. 2
    To resolve; to explain; to solve.
  3. 3
    To pronounce free from or give absolution for a penalty, blame, or guilt.
  4. 4
    To pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for.
  5. 5
    To grant a remission of sin; to give absolution to.
  6. 6
    To remit a sin; to give absolution for a sin.
  7. 7
    To finish; to accomplish.
  8. 8
    To pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. You will absolve a subject from his allegiance.
  2. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world.

Etymology

First attested in the early 15th century. From Middle English absolven, from Latin absolvere (“set free, acquit”), from ab (“away from”) + solvō (“loosen, free, release”). Doublet of assoil.

This word in other languages

absolver(Español)absoudre(Français)entbinden(Deutsch)eximir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • abbsolve
  • aboslve
  • abslove
  • absolev
  • absollve
  • absolvve
  • absovle
  • abssolve
  • asbolve
  • basolve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of absolve - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

abbsolve1aboslve2abslove2absolev2absollve1absolvve1absovle2abssolve1
Edit distance from "absolve"

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 "absolve"?
"absolve" is spelled A-B-S-O-L-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əbˈzɒlv/.
What does "absolve" mean?
As a verb, "absolve" means: To set free, release or discharge (from obligations, debts, responsibility etc.).
What words are commonly confused with "absolve"?
"absolve" is commonly confused with "above", "absolute". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "absolve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "absolve" is /əbˈzɒlv/. 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 "absolve"?
First attested in the early 15th century. From Middle English absolven, from Latin absolvere (“set free, acquit”), from ab (“away from”) + solvō (“loosen, free, release”). Doublet of assoil. 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 "absolve", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

agonist#35,605aground#35,606airfare#35,607winkler#35,587

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

baronet10 variantsbearish10 variantsveritas10 variantsBendigo10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list