# gavel

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɡa.vəl/ · frequency rank #43,664

## Definitions
1. Rent.
2. Usury; interest on money.
3. An old Saxon and Welsh form of tenure by which an estate passed, on the holder's death, to all the sons equally; also called gavelkind.

## Etymology
From Middle English gavel, from Old English gafol, from Proto-West Germanic *gabul, from Proto-Germanic *gabulą, from Proto-Germanic *gebaną (“to give”), equivalent to give + -el.

## Easily confused with
- **gel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-gel)
- **give** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-give)
- **gaze** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-gaze)
- **Gaye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-gaye)
- **gove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-gove)
- **given** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-given)
- **gives** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-gives)
- **grave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-grave)
- **Gavin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-gavin)
- **giver** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-giver)
- **gazed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-gazed)
- **gazes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-gazes)
- **graves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-graves)
- **gravel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-gravel)
- **gravely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavel-vs-gravely)
- **gal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gal-vs-gavel)
- **game** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gavel)
- **gave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gave-vs-gavel)
- **gale** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gale-vs-gavel)
- **Gail** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gail-vs-gavel)

## Common misspellings (7)
`agvel`, `gaevl`, `gavell`, `gavle`, `gavvel`, `ggavel`, `gvael`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/gavel