parole

/pəˈɹoʊl/

//pəˈɹoʊl// noun

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

The verdict

“parole” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,933. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,933
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Originally, one's oath or word of honour, given as a condition of release from custody; now specifically, describing the release of a former prisoner under certain conditions, especially the promis...

Corpus desk

Index EN-parole · parole · English

parole · rank #9,933 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,933
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH parody

Nearest frequency peer: parody (-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 “parole”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “parole” 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).

parole vs pole
67% similar
parole vs prove
67% similar
parole vs probe
67% similar

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

Key facts for parole
PropertyValue
Headwordparole
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pəˈɹoʊl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#9,933
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “parole”

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).parolelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “parody” (#9,932), “participant” (#9,934), “parental” (#9,931). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “parole” is #9,933. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around parole (IPA /pəˈɹoʊl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #9,933 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for parole, with forms such as "aprole", "paorle", and "parloe". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pole", "prove", "probe", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French parole (“word, formal promise”), from Old French parole, from Late Latin parabola (“speech”), from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ). Doublet of parabola, parable, and palaver. The correct English form is parole, spelled P-A-R-O-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Originally, one's oath or word of honour, given as a condition of release from custody; now specifically, describing the release of a former prisoner under certain conditions, especially the promise of good behaviour.
  2. 2
    Conditional release of a prisoner (now especially before the end of a custodial sentence), or the term or state of such release; the system governing such releases.
  3. 3
    A word of honor, especially given by a prisoner of war, to not engage in combat if released.
  4. 4
    A watchword or code phrase; (military) a password given only to officers, distinguished from the countersign, which is given to all guards.
  5. 5
    Language in use, as opposed to language as a system.
  6. 6
    The permission for a foreigner who does not meet the technical requirements for a visa to be allowed to enter the U.S. on humanitarian grounds.
  7. 7
    Alternative form of parol.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He will be on parole for nearly two more years.
  2. He was released on parole.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French parole (“word, formal promise”), from Old French parole, from Late Latin parabola (“speech”), from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ). Doublet of parabola, parable, and palaver.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aprole
  • paorle
  • parloe
  • paroel
  • parolle
  • parrole
  • pparole
  • praole

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of parole - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

aprole2paorle2parloe2paroel2parolle1parrole1pparole1praole2
Edit distance from "parole"

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 "parole"?
"parole" is spelled P-A-R-O-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pəˈɹoʊl/.
What does "parole" mean?
As a noun, "parole" means: Originally, one's oath or word of honour, given as a condition of release from custody; now specifically, describing the release of a former prisoner under certain conditions, especially the promis...
What words are commonly confused with "parole"?
"parole" is commonly confused with "pole", "prove", "probe". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "parole"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "parole" is /pəˈɹoʊl/. 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 "parole"?
Borrowed from Middle French parole (“word, formal promise”), from Old French parole, from Late Latin parabola (“speech”), from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ). Doublet of parabola, parable, and palaver. 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 "parole", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list