revolve

/ɹɪˈvɒlv/

//ɹɪˈvɒlv// verb

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

"revolve" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“revolve” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #21,342 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#21,342
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To bring back into a particular place or condition; to restore.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

revolve vs revolver
88% similar
revolve vs remove
71% similar
revolve vs revolt
71% similar

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

Key facts for revolve
PropertyValue
Headwordrevolve
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈvɒlv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#21,342
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “revolve” 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). revolve 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 revolve is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈvɒlv/. Corpus data places it at rank #21,342 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for revolve, with forms such as "ervolve", "reovlve", and "revlove". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "revolver", "remove", "revolt", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English revolven (“to change direction”), borrowed from Old French revolver (“to reflect upon”), from Latin revolvere (“turn over, roll back, reflect upon”), from re- (“back”) + volvō (“roll”); see voluble, volve. The correct English form is revolve, spelled R-E-V-O-L-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To bring back into a particular place or condition; to restore.
  2. 2
    To cause (something) to turn around a central point.
  3. 3
    To orbit a central point (especially of a celestial body).
  4. 4
    To rotate around an axis.
  5. 5
    To move in order or sequence.
  6. 6
    To ponder on; to reflect repeatedly upon; to consider all aspects of.
  7. 7
    To read through, to study (a book, author etc.).

Etymology

From Middle English revolven (“to change direction”), borrowed from Old French revolver (“to reflect upon”), from Latin revolvere (“turn over, roll back, reflect upon”), from re- (“back”) + volvō (“roll”); see voluble, volve.

This word in other languages

rotar(Español)retourner(Français)girar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ervolve,reovlve,revlove,revolev,revollve,revolvve,revovle,revvolve,rrevolve,rveolve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ervolve2reovlve2revlove2revolev2revollve1revolvve1revovle2revvolve1
Edit distance from "revolve"

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 "revolve"?
"revolve" is spelled R-E-V-O-L-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈvɒlv/.
What does "revolve" mean?
As a verb, "revolve" means: To bring back into a particular place or condition; to restore.
What words are commonly confused with "revolve"?
"revolve" is commonly confused with "revolver", "remove", "revolt". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "revolve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "revolve" is /ɹɪˈvɒlv/. 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 "revolve"?
From Middle English revolven (“to change direction”), borrowed from Old French revolver (“to reflect upon”), from Latin revolvere (“turn over, roll back, reflect upon”), from re- (“back”) + volvō (“roll”); see voluble, volve. 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 “revolve”

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

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