permissible

/pɚˈmɪsɪbl̩/

//pɚˈmɪsɪbl̩// adj

"permissible" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“permissible” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,469. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,469
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - permitted.

Corpus desk

Index EN-permissible · permissible · English

permissible · rank #22,469 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #22,469
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Platonic

Nearest frequency peer: Platonic (+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 “permissible”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “permissible” 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).

permissible vs permissive
82% similar

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

Key facts for permissible
PropertyValue
Headwordpermissible
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pɚˈmɪsɪbl̩/
Letters11
Frequency rank#22,469
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “permissible”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).permissiblelands 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 “Platonic” (#22,471), “patrolling” (#22,466), “polka” (#22,472). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “permissible” is #22,469. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around permissible (IPA /pɚˈmɪsɪbl̩/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #22,469 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for permissible, with forms such as "eprmissible", "pemrissible", and "perimssible". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "permissive", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English permyssyble, from Old French permissible, from Medieval Latin permissibilis. The correct English form is permissible, spelled P-E-R-M-I-S-S-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    permitted.
  2. 2
    permissive

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [...] Mr. M. N. Rollason points out that on four-track lines on which the fast lines, in the centre, are flanked by the slow lines, and running at speed is permissible on all four, the traveller can enjoy some quite exciting experiences when trains are doing a "neck-and-neck" on adjacent lines.
  2. The units will be allowed to run up to 90 m.p.h. between Chelmsford and Colchester, but their maximum speed of 100 m.p.h. is not permissible on the G.E. line.

Etymology

From Middle English permyssyble, from Old French permissible, from Medieval Latin permissibilis.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eprmissible
  • pemrissible
  • perimssible
  • permisible
  • permisisble
  • permissable
  • permissbile
  • permissibble
  • permissibel
  • permissiblle
  • permissilbe
  • permmissible
  • permsisible
  • perrmissible
  • ppermissible
  • premissible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eprmissible2pemrissible2perimssible2permisible1permisisble2permissable1permissbile2permissibble1
Edit distance from "permissible"

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 "permissible"?
"permissible" is spelled P-E-R-M-I-S-S-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɚˈmɪsɪbl̩/.
What does "permissible" mean?
As an adjective, "permissible" means: permitted.
What words are commonly confused with "permissible"?
"permissible" is commonly confused with "permissive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "permissible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "permissible" is /pɚˈmɪsɪbl̩/. 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 "permissible"?
From Middle English permyssyble, from Old French permissible, from Medieval Latin permissibilis. 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 "permissible", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list