allocate

/ˈæl.ə.keɪt/

//ˈæl.ə.keɪt// verb

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

"allocate" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“allocate” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,261. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,261
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To set aside for a purpose.

Corpus desk

Index EN-allocate · allocate · English

allocate · rank #19,261 · 9 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,261
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH analytic

Nearest frequency peer: analytic (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “allocate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “allocate” 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).

allocate vs allocated
89% similar
allocate vs advocate
75% similar

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

Key facts for allocate
PropertyValue
Headwordallocate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈæl.ə.keɪt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#19,261
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “allocate” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around allocate (IPA /ˈæl.ə.keɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #19,261 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for allocate, with forms such as "allcoate", "alloacte", and "allocaet". 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, "allocated", "advocate", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin allocātus, perfect passive participle of Latin allocō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to”) + locō. Doublet of allow. The correct English form is allocate, spelled A-L-L-O-C-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To set aside for a purpose.
  2. 2
    To distribute according to a plan, generally followed by the adposition to.
  3. 3
    To reserve a portion of memory for use by a computer program.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Please do not eat the meringue, as it is allocated for the dinner party tomorrow.
  2. By March 1994, it had moved to Cardiff Canton, and was still allocated there when its nameplates were taken off in March 1997.

Etymology

From Latin allocātus, perfect passive participle of Latin allocō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to”) + locō. Doublet of allow.

This word in other languages

asignar(Español)allouer(Français)zuteilen(Deutsch)alocar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • allcoate
  • alloacte
  • allocaet
  • allocatte
  • alloccate
  • alloctae
  • alocate
  • alolcate
  • lalocate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of allocate - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

allcoate2alloacte2allocaet2allocatte1alloccate1alloctae2alocate1alolcate2
Edit distance from "allocate"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "allocate"?
"allocate" is spelled A-L-L-O-C-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæl.ə.keɪt/.
What does "allocate" mean?
As a verb, "allocate" means: To set aside for a purpose.
What words are commonly confused with "allocate"?
"allocate" is commonly confused with "allocated", "advocate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "allocate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "allocate" is /ˈæl.ə.keɪt/. 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 "allocate"?
From Latin allocātus, perfect passive participle of Latin allocō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to”) + locō. Doublet of allow. 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 "allocate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

analytic#19,262Beaumont#19,270Turnbull#19,236cohesive#19,291

Similar misspelling depth

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

wiggins9 variantsbiopsy9 variantsbriefs9 variantsVaughn9 variants

What to do next

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

  • "allocate" maps to 2 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "allocated". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #19,261 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