give

/ɡɪv/

//ɡɪv// verb

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

"give" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“give” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #185 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#185
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

give vs GRE
0% similar
give vs gone
50% similar
give vs glue
50% similar

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

Key facts for give
PropertyValue
Headwordgive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɡɪv/
Letters4
Frequency rank#185
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “give” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for give is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #185 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 28 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for give, with forms such as "ggive", "giev", and "givve". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "GRE", "gone", "glue", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Middle English given, from merger of Old English giefan (“to give”) and Old Norse gefa (“to give”), from Proto-Germanic *gebaną (“to give”). Displaced yive, from Middle English yiven, of the same origin, from influence of Old Norse gefa. The correct English form is give, spelled G-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
  2. 2
    To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
  3. 3
    To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
  4. 4
    To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
  5. 5
    To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
  6. 6
    To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
  7. 7
    To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
  8. 8
    To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
  9. 9
    To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
  10. 10
    To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
  11. 11
    To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
  12. 12
    To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
  13. 13
    To provide, as, a service or a broadcast.
  14. 14
    To estimate or predict (a duration or probability) for (something).
  15. 15
    To yield or collapse under pressure or force.
  16. 16
    To lead (onto or into).
  17. 17
    To provide a view of.
  18. 18
    To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to yield.
  19. 19
    To cause; to make; used with the infinitive.
  20. 20
    To cause (someone) to have; produce in (someone); effectuate.
  21. 21
    To allow or admit by way of supposition; to concede.
  22. 22
    To attribute; to assign; to adjudge.
  23. 23
    To communicate or announce (advice, tidings, etc.); to pronounce or utter (an opinion, a judgment, a shout, etc.).
  24. 24
    To grant power, permission, destiny, etc. (especially to a person); to allot; to allow.
  25. 25
    To devote or apply (oneself).
  26. 26
    To become soft or moist.
  27. 27
    To shed tears; to weep.
  28. 28
    To have a misgiving.

Etymology

Middle English given, from merger of Old English giefan (“to give”) and Old Norse gefa (“to give”), from Proto-Germanic *gebaną (“to give”). Displaced yive, from Middle English yiven, of the same origin, from influence of Old Norse gefa.

Synonyms

accordaddassignawardbestowbequeathconfercontributedeliverdodonatefurnishgivegive awaygranthandhand inhand overmake overministerpasspresentproviderendersupplyturn inturn over

Antonyms

receivetake

This word in other languages

dar(Español)donner(Français)geben(Deutsch)dar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggive,giev,givve,gvie,igve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ggive1giev2givve1gvie2igve2
Edit distance from "give"

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 "give"?
"give" is spelled G-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɪv/.
What does "give" mean?
As a verb, "give" means: To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
What words are commonly confused with "give"?
"give" is commonly confused with "GRE", "gone", "glue". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "give"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "give" is /ɡɪv/. 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 "give"?
Middle English given, from merger of Old English giefan (“to give”) and Old Norse gefa (“to give”), from Proto-Germanic *gebaną (“to give”). Displaced yive, from Middle English yiven, of the same origin, from influence of Old Norse gefa. 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.

Using “give”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is G-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɡɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “GRE” - see the side-by-side comparison. give vs GRE
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list