avoid

Name: avoid, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/əˈvɔɪd/

//əˈvɔɪd// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“avoid” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,416 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,416
frequency rank, English: 5
letters: 6
tracked misspellings: 15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

avoid vs Avon

40% similar

avoid vs Avril

40% similar

avoid vs avoids

83% similar

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

Key facts for avoid
Property	Value
Headword	avoid
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/əˈvɔɪd/
Letters	5
Frequency rank	#1,416
Misspellings tracked	6
Confusable pairs	15
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “avoid” 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). avoid lands here:

#1,416

#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 avoid is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈvɔɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,416 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 12 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 avoid, with forms such as "aovid", "aviod", and "avodi". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "Avon", "Avril", "avoids", 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 avoiden, from Anglo-Norman avoider, Old French esvuidier (“to empty out”), from es- + vuidier, from Vulgar Latin *vocitāre < Vulgar Latin *vocitum, ultimately related to Latin vacuus. Displaced native Old English forbūgan (literally “to … The correct English form is avoid, spelled A-V-O-I-D.

Definition

1
To try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun.
2
To stay out of the way of (something harmful).
3
To keep away from; to keep clear of; to stay away from.
4
To try not to do something or to have something happen.
5
To make empty; to clear.
6
To make void, to annul; to refute (especially a contract).
7
To defeat or evade; to invalidate.
8
To emit or throw out; to void.
9
To leave, evacuate; to leave as empty, to withdraw or come away from.
10
To get rid of.
11
To retire; to withdraw, depart, go away.
12
To become void or vacant.

Etymology

From Middle English avoiden, from Anglo-Norman avoider, Old French esvuidier (“to empty out”), from es- + vuidier, from Vulgar Latin *vocitāre < Vulgar Latin *vocitum, ultimately related to Latin vacuus. Displaced native Old English forbūgan (literally “to bend away from”).

Synonyms

abjure avert avoid dodge duck help elude escape eschew evade evitateget away fromlong offsack offsidestep shy away from skirt shun steer clear swerve waive

Antonyms

come to grips with confront deal with engage get to grips with take the bull by the horns

This word in other languages

evitar(Español)éviter(Français)ausweichen(Deutsch)evitar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aovid,aviod,avodi,avoidd,avvoid,vaoid

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of avoid - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Edit distance from "avoid"

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 "avoid"?

"avoid" is spelled A-V-O-I-D. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈvɔɪd/.

What does "avoid" mean?

As a verb, "avoid" means: To try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun.

What words are commonly confused with "avoid"?

"avoid" is commonly confused with "Avon", "Avril", "avoids". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "avoid"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "avoid" is /əˈvɔɪd/. 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 "avoid"?

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 “avoid”

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

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