evolve

/ɪˈvɒlv/

//ɪˈvɒlv// verb

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

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

The verdict

“evolve” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,604. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,604
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To move (something) in regular procession through a system.

Corpus desk

Index EN-evolve · evolve · English

evolve · rank #9,604 · 8 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,604
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH Eugene

Nearest frequency peer: Eugene (-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 “evolve”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “evolve” 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).

evolve vs evoke
67% similar

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

Key facts for evolve
PropertyValue
Headwordevolve
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪˈvɒlv/
Letters6
Frequency rank#9,604
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “evolve”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).evolvelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Eugene” (#9,603), “explode” (#9,605), “eternity” (#9,602). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “evolve” is #9,604. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around evolve (IPA /ɪˈvɒlv/), averb. Corpus frequency is #9,604 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for evolve, with forms such as "eovlve", "evlove", and "evolev". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "evoke", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin ēvolvō (“unroll, unfold”), from ē- (“out of”) (short form of ex) + volvō (“roll”). The correct English form is evolve, spelled E-V-O-L-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To move (something) in regular procession through a system.
  2. 2
    To change or transform (something).
  3. 3
    To cause (something) to come into being or develop.
  4. 4
    Of a population: to acquire or develop (a trait) in the process of biological evolution.
  5. 5
    To cause (a population, a species, etc.) to change genetic composition over successive generations through the process of evolution.
  6. 6
    To give off (a gas such as carbon dioxide or oxygen) during a chemical reaction.
  7. 7
    To wind or unwind (something).
  8. 8
    To move in regular procession through a system.
  9. 9
    To change, to transform.
  10. 10
    Of a trait; to develop within a population through biological evolution.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The animal soul sooner expands and evolves it self to its full orb and extent than the humane Soul
  2. Over several years the author evolved the story originally drafted as a novella into a real epic.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ēvolvō (“unroll, unfold”), from ē- (“out of”) (short form of ex) + volvō (“roll”).

This word in other languages

progresar(Español)évoluer(Français)andauern(Deutsch)evoluir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eovlve
  • evlove
  • evolev
  • evollve
  • evolvve
  • evovle
  • evvolve
  • veolve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of evolve - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

eovlve2evlove2evolev2evollve1evolvve1evovle2evvolve1veolve2
Edit distance from "evolve"

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 "evolve"?
"evolve" is spelled E-V-O-L-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈvɒlv/.
What does "evolve" mean?
As a verb, "evolve" means: To move (something) in regular procession through a system.
What words are commonly confused with "evolve"?
"evolve" is commonly confused with "evoke". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "evolve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "evolve" is /ɪˈvɒlv/. 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 "evolve"?
Borrowed from Latin ēvolvō (“unroll, unfold”), from ē- (“out of”) (short form of ex) + 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 "evolve", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Eugene#9,603filthy#9,608ironic#9,621lacked#9,622

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

flush8 variantshorns8 variantsluggage8 variantsmadame8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list