avail

/əˈveɪl/

//əˈveɪl// verb

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

"avail" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“avail” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,096 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#13,096
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To turn to the advantage of.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

avail vs Avi
40% similar
avail vs avid
60% similar
avail vs avis
60% similar

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

Key facts for avail
PropertyValue
Headwordavail
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈveɪl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#13,096
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “avail” 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). avail 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 avail is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈveɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,096 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for avail, with forms such as "aavil", "availl", and "avali". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "Avi", "avid", "avis", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English availen (“to be of use”), from Old French a (“to”) + vail from valoir (“to be worth”), from Latin valere (“to be worthy, strong”). The correct English form is avail, spelled A-V-A-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To turn to the advantage of.
  2. 2
    To be of service to.
  3. 3
    To promote; to assist.
  4. 4
    To be of use or advantage; to answer or serve the purpose; to have strength, force, or efficacy sufficient to accomplish the object.
  5. 5
    To provide; to make available.
  6. 6
    To use or take advantage of (an opportunity or resource).

Etymology

From Middle English availen (“to be of use”), from Old French a (“to”) + vail from valoir (“to be worth”), from Latin valere (“to be worthy, strong”).

Antonyms

disavail

This word in other languages

aprovechar(Español)profiter(Français)ausnutzen(Deutsch)aproveitar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aavil,availl,avali,avial,avvail,vaail

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aavil2availl1avali2avial2avvail1vaail2
Edit distance from "avail"

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 "avail"?
"avail" is spelled A-V-A-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈveɪl/.
What does "avail" mean?
As a verb, "avail" means: To turn to the advantage of.
What words are commonly confused with "avail"?
"avail" is commonly confused with "Avi", "avid", "avis". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "avail"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "avail" is /əˈveɪl/. 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 "avail"?
From Middle English availen (“to be of use”), from Old French a (“to”) + vail from valoir (“to be worth”), from Latin valere (“to be worthy, strong”). 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 “avail”

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

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