permit

/pɚˈmɪt/

//pɚˈmɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“permit” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,970. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,970
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To allow (something) to happen, to give permission for.

Corpus desk

Index EN-permit · permit · English

permit · rank #4,970 · 9 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,970
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pension

Nearest frequency peer: pension (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “permit”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “permit” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

permit vs pert
67% similar
permit vs petit
67% similar
permit vs Perot
50% similar

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

Key facts for permit
PropertyValue
Headwordpermit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɚˈmɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,970
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “permit” 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). permit lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around permit (IPA /pɚˈmɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #4,970 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for permit, with forms such as "eprmit", "pemrit", and "perimt". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "pert", "petit", "Perot", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English permitten, borrowed from Middle French permettre, from Latin permittō (“give up, allow”), from per (“through”) + mittō (“send”). The correct English form is permit, spelled P-E-R-M-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To allow (something) to happen, to give permission for.
  2. 2
    To allow (someone) to do something; to give permission to.
  3. 3
    To allow for, to make something possible.
  4. 4
    To allow, to admit (of).
  5. 5
    To grant formal authorization for (something).
  6. 6
    To attempt to obtain or succeed in obtaining formal authorization for (something).
  7. 7
    To hand over, resign (something to someone).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Mr. Cooke at once began a tirade against the residents of Asquith for permitting a sandy and generally disgraceful condition of the roads. So roundly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda.
  2. Last week the decision on two points was conclusive: the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. will not permit ordination of women as ministers, but will permit their election as ruling elders, permission which makes possible a woman as moderator.

Etymology

From Middle English permitten, borrowed from Middle French permettre, from Latin permittō (“give up, allow”), from per (“through”) + mittō (“send”).

This word in other languages

permitir(Español)permettre(Français)erlauben(Deutsch)permitir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eprmit
  • pemrit
  • perimt
  • permitt
  • permmit
  • permti
  • perrmit
  • ppermit
  • premit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eprmit2pemrit2perimt2permitt1permmit1permti2perrmit1ppermit1
Edit distance from "permit"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "permit"?
"permit" is spelled P-E-R-M-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /pɚˈmɪt/.
What does "permit" mean?
As a verb, "permit" means: To allow (something) to happen, to give permission for.
What words are commonly confused with "permit"?
"permit" is commonly confused with "pert", "petit", "Perot". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "permit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "permit" is /pɚˈmɪt/. 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 "permit"?
From Middle English permitten, borrowed from Middle French permettre, from Latin permittō (“give up, allow”), from per (“through”) + mittō (“send”). 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 "permit", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

outfit#4,968plates#4,972Oliver#4,967safely#4,979

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

backup9 variantsclever9 variantsclinic9 variantsbatman9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "permit". Here's where to go from here.

  • "permit" maps to 11 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "pert". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #4,970 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "P" letter cohort. P–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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