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” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,863. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,863
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To call upon (a person, a god) for help, assistance or guidance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-invoke · invoke · English

invoke · rank #18,863 · 8 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,863
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH intrusive

Nearest frequency peer: intrusive (-2 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 “invoke”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “invoke” 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).

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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “invoke”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “intrusive” (#18,861), “jackass” (#18,865), “intervening” (#18,860). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “invoke” is #18,863. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around invoke (IPA /ɪnˈvoʊk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #18,863 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The envoy invoked the King of Kings's magnanimity to reduce his province's tribute after another drought.
  2. Whatever the pressures that have invoked the Minister's diktat, the outcome is Gilbertian.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "invoke", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

joyous#18,869hooper#18,853hectic#18,851Malawi#18,881

Similar misspelling depth

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

grieve8 variantsGideon8 variantsflung8 variantsfling8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list