avenge

/əˈvɛnd͡ʒ/

//əˈvɛnd͡ʒ// verb

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

"avenge" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“avenge” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,846 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#20,846
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To take vengeance (for); to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

avenge vs avenue
83% similar
avenge vs averse
67% similar
avenge vs average
71% similar

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

Key facts for avenge
PropertyValue
Headwordavenge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈvɛnd͡ʒ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#20,846
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “avenge” 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). avenge 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 avenge is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈvɛnd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,846 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for avenge, with forms such as "aevnge", "avegne", and "aveneg". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "avenue", "averse", "average", 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 avengen, borrowed from Old French avengier, from a- (“upon”) + vengier, from Latin vindicō, vindicāre. The correct English form is avenge, spelled A-V-E-N-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To take vengeance (for); to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer.
  2. 2
    To revenge oneself (on or upon someone).
  3. 3
    To take vengeance.
  4. 4
    To treat revengefully; to wreak vengeance on.

Etymology

From Middle English avengen, borrowed from Old French avengier, from a- (“upon”) + vengier, from Latin vindicō, vindicāre.

Synonyms

bewreakget back atretaliatetake revengespiteavengeeven the scoreget one's own backsettle the scoretar out

This word in other languages

vengar(Español)venger(Français)rächen(Deutsch)vingar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aevnge,avegne,aveneg,avengge,avennge,avnege,avvenge,vaenge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aevnge2avegne2aveneg2avengge1avennge1avnege2avvenge1vaenge2
Edit distance from "avenge"

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 "avenge"?
"avenge" is spelled A-V-E-N-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈvɛnd͡ʒ/.
What does "avenge" mean?
As a verb, "avenge" means: To take vengeance (for); to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer.
What words are commonly confused with "avenge"?
"avenge" is commonly confused with "avenue", "averse", "average". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "avenge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "avenge" is /əˈvɛnd͡ʒ/. 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 "avenge"?
From Middle English avengen, borrowed from Old French avengier, from a- (“upon”) + vengier, from Latin vindicō, vindicāre. 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 “avenge”

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

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