# allow

> English word · Verb · IPA /əˈlaʊ/ · frequency rank #1,039

## Definitions
1. To let one have as a suitable share of something.
2. To permit, to give permission to.
3. To not bar or obstruct.
4. To acknowledge, accept the truth of; to concede; to accede to an opinion; to say something one agrees on in the context of a larger disagreement or reluctance.
5. To grant (something) as a deduction or an addition; especially to abate or deduct.
6. To make an allowance, to take into account when making plans.
7. To render physically possible.
8. To praise; to approve of; hence, to sanction.
9. To sanction; to invest; to entrust.
10. To like; to be suited or pleased with.
11. To decide (a request) in favour of the party who raised it; to grant victory to a party regarding (a request).
12. To forgo bothering with, to let slide.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd
Proto-Italic *ad
Proto-Italic *ad-
Latin ad-
Latin laus
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Italic *-āō
Latin -ō
Latin laudō
Latin allaudō
Old French aloer
▲
Latin ad-
Latin locus
▲
Latin -ō
Latin locō
Latin allocō
Old French aloer
Anglo-Norman alouerbor.
Middle English allowen
English allow
From Middle English allowen, alowen, a borrowing from Anglo-Norman allouer, alouer, from Medieval Latin allaudāre, merged with alouer, from Medieval Latin allocō (“to assign”). Doublet of allaud (via allaudāre) or allocate (via allocāre).
The similarity with Middle English alyfen (from Old English ālīefan) and German erlauben, both from Proto-Germanic *uzlaubijaną (“to allow”) is unrelated.

## Easily confused with
- **also** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-also)
- **ally** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-ally)
- **alot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-alot)
- **alto** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-alto)
- **aloe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-aloe)
- **Arlo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-arlo)
- **Alon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-alon)
- **alls** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-alls)
- **arrow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-arrow)
- **alloy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-alloy)
- **Alton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-alton)
- **aloof** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-aloof)
- **allows** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-allows)
- **allowed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allow-vs-allowed)
- **all** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/all-vs-allow)
- **Aldo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aldo-vs-allow)
- **Alla** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alla-vs-allow)
- **allo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allo-vs-allow)
- **algo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/algo-vs-allow)
- **Allen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allen-vs-allow)

## Common misspellings (5)
`alloww`, `allwo`, `alolw`, `alow`, `lalow`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/allow