# alms

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɑːmz/ · frequency rank #33,114

## Definitions
1. Something given to the poor as charity, such as money, clothing or food.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Ancient Greek ἔλεος (éleos)
Proto-Indo-European *-eti
Proto-Indo-European *-eyéti
Proto-Indo-European *-esyéti
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti
Ancient Greek -έω (-éō)
Ancient Greek ἐλεέω (eleéō)
Proto-Indo-European *-mṓ
Ancient Greek -μων (-mōn)
Ancient Greek ἐλεήμων (eleḗmōn)
Ancient Greek -συνος (-sunos)
Ancient Greek -σῠ́νη (-sŭ́nē)
Ancient Greek ἐλεημοσύνη (eleēmosúnē)bor.
Late Latin eleēmosyna
Vulgar Latin *alēmosynabor.
Proto-West Germanic *alemōsinā
Old English ælmesse
Middle English almesse
English alms
From Middle English almes, almesse, ælmesse, from Old English ælmesse, from Proto-West Germanic *alemōsinā, a borrowing from Vulgar Latin *alemosyna, from Late Latin eleēmosyna, from Ancient Greek ἐλεημοσύνη (eleēmosúnē, “alms”), from ἐλεέω (eleéō, “I have mercy”), from ἔλεος (éleos, “mercy”). Compare Saterland Frisian Aalmoose (“alms”), Dutch aalmoes (“alms”), German Almosen (“alms”), Catalan almoina (“alms”), Portuguese esmola (“alms”), Galician esmola (“alms”), Spanish limosna (“alms”), French aumône (“alms”).

## Easily confused with
- **as** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-as)
- **AM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-am)
- **ass** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-ass)
- **arm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-arm)
- **Amy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-amy)
- **ATM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-atm)
- **alt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-alt)
- **amp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-amp)
- **AMD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-amd)
- **ama** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-ama)
- **als** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-als)
- **ans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-ans)
- **AMI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-ami)
- **AWS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-aws)
- **APS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-aps)
- **alp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-alp)
- **AmE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-ame)
- **AMR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-amr)
- **amt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-amt)
- **asm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alms-vs-asm)

## Common misspellings (6)
`allms`, `almms`, `almss`, `alsm`, `amls`, `lams`

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