invoke

/ɪnˈvoʊk/

//ɪnˈvoʊk// verb

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

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

The verdict

“invoke” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,863 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#18,863
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To call upon (a person, a god) for help, assistance or guidance.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

invoke vs involve
71% similar
invoke vs Inoue
50% similar
invoke vs income
67% similar

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

Key facts for invoke
PropertyValue
Headwordinvoke
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈvoʊk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#18,863
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “invoke” 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). invoke 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 invoke is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈvoʊk/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,863 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for invoke, with forms such as "innvoke", "inovke", and "invkoe". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "involve", "Inoue", "income", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English *invoken, envoken, borrowed from Old French envoquer, from Latin invocāre (“to call upon”), itself from in- + vocare (“to call”). Doublet of invocate. The correct English form is invoke, spelled I-N-V-O-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To call upon (a person, a god) for help, assistance or guidance.
  2. 2
    To solicit, petition for, appeal to a favorable attitude.
  3. 3
    To call another ship.
  4. 4
    To call to mind (something) for some purpose.
  5. 5
    To appeal for validation to a (notably cited) authority.
  6. 6
    To conjure up with incantations.
  7. 7
    To bring about as an inevitable consequence.
  8. 8
    To cause (a program or subroutine) to execute.

Etymology

From Middle English *invoken, envoken, borrowed from Old French envoquer, from Latin invocāre (“to call upon”), itself from in- + vocare (“to call”). Doublet of invocate.

This word in other languages

invocar(Español)invoquer(Français)anrufen(Deutsch)invocar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: innvoke,inovke,invkoe,invoek,invokke,invvoke,ivnoke,nivoke

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

innvoke1inovke2invkoe2invoek2invokke1invvoke1ivnoke2nivoke2
Edit distance from "invoke"

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 "invoke"?
"invoke" is spelled I-N-V-O-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈvoʊk/.
What does "invoke" mean?
As a verb, "invoke" means: To call upon (a person, a god) for help, assistance or guidance.
What words are commonly confused with "invoke"?
"invoke" is commonly confused with "involve", "Inoue", "income". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "invoke"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "invoke" is /ɪnˈvoʊk/. 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 "invoke"?
From Middle English *invoken, envoken, borrowed from Old French envoquer, from Latin invocāre (“to call upon”), itself from in- + vocare (“to call”). Doublet of invocate. 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 “invoke”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-V-O-K-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪnˈvoʊk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “involve” - see the side-by-side comparison. invoke vs involve
  • 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