envelop

/ɛnˈvɛləp/

//ɛnˈvɛləp// verb

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

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

The verdict

“envelop” is uncommon English (frequency #54,160 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#54,160
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To surround, enclose or enfold.

Corpus desk

Index EN-envelop · envelop · English

envelop · rank #54,160 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #54,160
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH equaling

Nearest frequency peer: equaling (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “envelop”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “envelop” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for envelop
PropertyValue
Headwordenvelop
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɛnˈvɛləp/
Letters7
Frequency rank#54,160
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “envelop” in English

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “equaling” (#54,161), “Escondido” (#54,162), “Estella” (#54,164). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “envelop” is #54,160. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

envelop is uncommon English at frequency #54,160 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɛnˈvɛləp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To surround, enclose or enfold.".

envelop has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English envolupen, from Old French anveloper, envoluper (modern French envelopper), from en- + voloper, vloper (“to wrap, wrap up”) (compare Italian -viluppare; Old Italian alternative form goluppare (“to wrap”)) from Vulgar Latin *vuloppare (“t… The correct English form is envelop, spelled E-N-V-E-L-O-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To surround, enclose or enfold.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In the fulness of time there was an eruption of the merry-makers to the sidewalk. The uninvited guests enveloped and permeated them, and upon the night air rose joyous cries, congratulations, laughter and unclassified noises born of McGary's oblations to the hymeneal scene.
  2. (b) sporophyte with foot reduced, the entire sporophyte enveloped by the calyptra, which is ± stipitate at the base.

Etymology

From Middle English envolupen, from Old French anveloper, envoluper (modern French envelopper), from en- + voloper, vloper (“to wrap, wrap up”) (compare Italian -viluppare; Old Italian alternative form goluppare (“to wrap”)) from Vulgar Latin *vuloppare (“to wrap”), from Proto-Germanic *wlappaną, *wrappaną (“to wrap, roll up, turn, wind”), from Proto-Indo-European *werb- (“to turn, bend”) http://www.wordnik.com/words/envelop. Akin to Middle English wlappen (“to wrap, fold”) (Modern English lap (“to wrap, involve, fold”)), Middle English wrappen (“to wrap”), Middle Dutch lappen (“to wrap up, embrace”), Danish dialectal vravle (“to wind, twist”), Middle Low German wrempen (“to wrinkle, distort”), Old English wearp (“warp”). Doublet of enwrap.

This word in other languages

envolver(Español)envelopper(Français)einhüllen(Deutsch)envolver(Português)

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 "envelop"?
"envelop" is spelled E-N-V-E-L-O-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ɛnˈvɛləp/.
What does "envelop" mean?
As a verb, "envelop" means: To surround, enclose or enfold.
How do you pronounce "envelop"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "envelop" is /ɛnˈvɛləp/. 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 "envelop"?
From Middle English envolupen, from Old French anveloper, envoluper (modern French envelopper), from en- + voloper, vloper (“to wrap, wrap up”) (compare Italian -viluppare; Old Italian alternative form goluppare (“to wrap”)) from Vulgar Latin *vul... 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 "envelop", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Estella#54,164Emirati#54,152fetches#54,179dragnet#54,134

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list