approval

/əˈpɹuːvəl/

//əˈpɹuːvəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“approval” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,978 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,978
frequency rank, English
8
letters
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An expression granting permission; an indication of agreement with a proposal; an acknowledgement that a person, thing, or event meets requirements.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

approval vs approve
75% similar
approval vs approved
75% similar
approval vs approves
75% similar

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

Key facts for approval
PropertyValue
Headwordapproval
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈpɹuːvəl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,978
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “approval” 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). approval 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 approval is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈpɹuːvəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,978 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for approval, with forms such as "apporval", "approavl", and "approvall". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "approve", "approved", "approves", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *pró Proto-Indo-European *pro-der. Proto… The correct English form is approval, spelled A-P-P-R-O-V-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    An expression granting permission; an indication of agreement with a proposal; an acknowledgement that a person, thing, or event meets requirements.
  2. 2
    An expression of favorable acceptance and encouragement; a compliment that also condones.
  3. 3
    Something mailed by a seller to a collector to match their stated interests; the collector can approve of or return the item.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *pró Proto-Indo-European *pro-der. Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-der. Proto-Italic *proβwos Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Proto-Italic *proβwāō Latin probō Latin approbōder. Old French aproverbor. Middle English aproven English approve Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English approval From approve + -al.

Synonyms

approbationsanctioncommendationaccedenceallowanceapprovalassentassentmentauthorizationconsent

Antonyms

disapprobationdisapprovalnonassent

This word in other languages

aprobación(Español)agrément(Français)Genehmigung(Deutsch)aprovação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apporval,approavl,approvall,approvla,approvval,apprroval,apprvoal,aproval,aprpoval,paproval

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

apporval2approavl2approvall1approvla2approvval1apprroval1apprvoal2aproval1
Edit distance from "approval"

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 "approval"?
"approval" is spelled A-P-P-R-O-V-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈpɹuːvəl/.
What does "approval" mean?
As a noun, "approval" means: An expression granting permission; an indication of agreement with a proposal; an acknowledgement that a person, thing, or event meets requirements.
What words are commonly confused with "approval"?
"approval" is commonly confused with "approve", "approved", "approves". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "approval"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "approval" is /əˈpɹuːvəl/. 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 "approval"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *pró Proto-Indo-European *pro-... 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 “approval”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-P-P-R-O-V-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈpɹuːvəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “approve” - see the side-by-side comparison. approval vs approve
  • 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