# asylum

> English word · Noun · IPA /əˈsaɪləm/ · frequency rank #7,197

## Definitions
1. A place of safety or refuge.
2. The protection, physical and legal, afforded by such a place (as, for example, for political refugees).
3. A place of protection or restraint for one or more classes of the disadvantaged, especially the mentally ill.

## Etymology
From Latin asylum, from Ancient Greek ἄσυλον (ásulon).

## Easily confused with
- **alum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alum-vs-asylum)

## Common misspellings (9)
`aslyum`, `assylum`, `asyllum`, `asylmu`, `asylumm`, `asyulm`, `asyylum`, `ayslum`, `saylum`

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