devolve

/dɪˈvɒɫv/

//dɪˈvɒɫv// verb

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

"devolve" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“devolve” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,886. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,886
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To be inherited by someone else; to pass down upon the next person in a succession, especially through failure or loss of an earlier holder.

Corpus desk

Index EN-devolve · devolve · English

devolve · rank #37,886 · 10 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,886
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH DHA

Nearest frequency peer: DHA (+2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “devolve”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “devolve” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

devolve vs devote
71% similar
devolve vs devotee
71% similar
devolve vs devolved
88% similar

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

Key facts for devolve
PropertyValue
Headworddevolve
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈvɒɫv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#37,886
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “devolve”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).devolvelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “DHA” (#37,888), “demonstrably” (#37,882), “diffuser” (#37,890). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “devolve” is #37,886. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around devolve (IPA /dɪˈvɒɫv/), averb. Corpus frequency is #37,886 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for devolve, with forms such as "ddevolve", "deovlve", and "devlove". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "devote", "devotee", "devolved", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin dēvolvō (“roll or tumble off or down”), from dē + volvō (“roll”). The correct English form is devolve, spelled D-E-V-O-L-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To be inherited by someone else; to pass down upon the next person in a succession, especially through failure or loss of an earlier holder.
  2. 2
    To delegate (a responsibility, duty, etc.) on or upon someone.
  3. 3
    To delegate (a responsibility, duty, etc.) on or upon someone.
  4. 4
    To fall as a duty or responsibility on or upon someone.
  5. 5
    To fall as a duty or responsibility on or upon someone.
  6. 6
    To degenerate; to break down.
  7. 7
    To roll (something) down; to unroll.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how devolve appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. an accident […] rendered him permanently lame, and therefore unfitted him, in the opinion of his parents, to inherit his father's many titles, which, it was then arranged, should devolve upon his younger brother.
  2. Near-synonyms: pass down, pass on, hand down

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēvolvō (“roll or tumble off or down”), from dē + volvō (“roll”).

This word in other languages

delegar(Español)übergeben(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddevolve
  • deovlve
  • devlove
  • devolev
  • devollve
  • devolvve
  • devovle
  • devvolve
  • dveolve
  • edvolve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddevolve1deovlve2devlove2devolev2devollve1devolvve1devovle2devvolve1
Edit distance from "devolve"

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 "devolve"?
"devolve" is spelled D-E-V-O-L-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈvɒɫv/.
What does "devolve" mean?
As a verb, "devolve" means: To be inherited by someone else; to pass down upon the next person in a succession, especially through failure or loss of an earlier holder.
What words are commonly confused with "devolve"?
"devolve" is commonly confused with "devote", "devotee", "devolved". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "devolve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "devolve" is /dɪˈvɒɫv/. 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 "devolve"?
Borrowed from Latin dēvolvō (“roll or tumble off or down”), from dē + volvō (“roll”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "devolve", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

delving#37,881Drucker#37,897crackle#37,868chowder#37,854

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

diffuser10 variantsBoucher10 variantshairpin10 variantsimpaled10 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list