elude

/ɪˈljuːd/

//ɪˈljuːd// verb

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

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

The verdict

“elude” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,904. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,904
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To evade or escape from (someone or something), especially by using cunning or skill.

Corpus desk

Index EN-elude · elude · English

elude · rank #37,904 · 6 variants · 12 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,904
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 12 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH elongate

Nearest frequency peer: elongate (-1 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 “elude”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “elude” 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).

elude vs evade
60% similar
elude vs erode
60% similar
elude vs etude
80% similar

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

Key facts for elude
PropertyValue
Headwordelude
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪˈljuːd/
Letters5
Frequency rank#37,904
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “elude”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).eludelands 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 “elongate” (#37,903), “embattled” (#37,905), “elms” (#37,902). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “elude” is #37,904. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around elude (IPA /ɪˈljuːd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #37,904 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for elude, with forms such as "eldue", "ellude", and "eludde". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "evade", "erode", "etude", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin ēlūdō (“to evade, elude”), from ē- (“out of”, short form of ex-) + lūdō (“to play; to trick”). The correct English form is elude, spelled E-L-U-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To evade or escape from (someone or something), especially by using cunning or skill.
  2. 2
    To shake off (a pursuer); to give someone the slip.
  3. 3
    To escape being understandable to; to be incomprehensible to.
  4. 4
    To escape someone's memory, to slip someone's mind.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Thus the observation of human blindness and weakness is the result of all philosophy, and meets us at every turn, in spite of our endeavours to elude or avoid it.
  2. The line continued in operation until about 1908, but the precise date of closure has eluded research.

Etymology

From Latin ēlūdō (“to evade, elude”), from ē- (“out of”, short form of ex-) + lūdō (“to play; to trick”).

This word in other languages

eludir(Español)éluder(Français)entgehen(Deutsch)escapar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eldue
  • ellude
  • eludde
  • elued
  • eulde
  • leude

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eldue2ellude1eludde1elued2eulde2leude2
Edit distance from "elude"

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 "elude"?
"elude" is spelled E-L-U-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈljuːd/.
What does "elude" mean?
As a verb, "elude" means: To evade or escape from (someone or something), especially by using cunning or skill.
What words are commonly confused with "elude"?
"elude" is commonly confused with "evade", "erode", "etude". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "elude"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "elude" is /ɪˈljuːd/. 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 "elude"?
From Latin ēlūdō (“to evade, elude”), from ē- (“out of”, short form of ex-) + lūdō (“to play; to trick”). 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 "elude", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ender#37,909Delle#37,880dally#37,876Frans#37,934

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

elms6 variantshatter6 variantsHausa6 variantsbruv6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list