allowable

/əˈlaʊ.əbəl/

//əˈlaʊ.əbəl// adj

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

"allowable" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“allowable” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,903 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#29,903
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Appropriate; acceptable.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

allowable vs allowance
78% similar

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

Key facts for allowable
PropertyValue
Headwordallowable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əˈlaʊ.əbəl/
Letters9
Frequency rank#29,903
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “allowable” 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). allowable lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for allowable is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈlaʊ.əbəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,903 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for allowable, with forms such as "alloawble", "allowabble", and "allowabel". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "allowance", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English allowable, alowable, a borrowing from Old French alouable (Modern French allouable), from allouer, equivalent to allow + -able. The correct English form is allowable, spelled A-L-L-O-W-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Appropriate; acceptable.
  2. 2
    Intellectually admissible; valid; probable.
  3. 3
    Able to be added or deducted in consideration of something.
  4. 4
    Permissible; tolerable; legitimate.
  5. 5
    Praiseworthy.

Etymology

From Middle English allowable, alowable, a borrowing from Old French alouable (Modern French allouable), from allouer, equivalent to allow + -able.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: alloawble,allowabble,allowabel,allowablle,allowalbe,allowbale,allowible,allowwable,allwoable,alolwable,alowable,lalowable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of allowable - 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.

alloawble2allowabble1allowabel2allowablle1allowalbe2allowbale2allowible1allowwable1
Edit distance from "allowable"

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 "allowable"?
"allowable" is spelled A-L-L-O-W-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈlaʊ.əbəl/.
What does "allowable" mean?
As an adjective, "allowable" means: Appropriate; acceptable.
What words are commonly confused with "allowable"?
"allowable" is commonly confused with "allowance". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "allowable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "allowable" is /əˈlaʊ.əbəl/. 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 "allowable"?
From Middle English allowable, alowable, a borrowing from Old French alouable (Modern French allouable), from allouer, equivalent to allow + -able. 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.

Using “allowable”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-L-L-O-W-A-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈlaʊ.əbəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “allowance” - see the side-by-side comparison. allowable vs allowance
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list