valve

/ˈvælv/

//ˈvælv// noun

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

"valve" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“valve” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,848. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,848
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a space, such as a pipe, manifold, or plenum.

Corpus desk

Index EN-valve · valve · English

valve · rank #5,848 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,848
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH visa

Nearest frequency peer: visa (+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 “valve”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “valve” 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).

valve vs vile
60% similar
valve vs vase
60% similar
valve vs vape
60% similar

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

Key facts for valve
PropertyValue
Headwordvalve
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvælv/
Letters5
Frequency rank#5,848
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “valve”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).valvelands 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 “visa” (#5,849), “um” (#5,846), “washing” (#5,850). Among 969 “V” headwords, “valve” is #5,848. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around valve (IPA /ˈvælv/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,848 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for valve, with forms such as "avlve", "valev", and "vallve". 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, "vile", "vase", "vape", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English valve, from Latin valva (“double door, valve”). Doublet of valva. The correct English form is valve, spelled V-A-L-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a space, such as a pipe, manifold, or plenum.
  2. 2
    A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a space, such as a pipe, manifold, or plenum.
  3. 3
    One or more membranous partitions, flaps, or folds, which permit the passage of the contents of a vessel or cavity in one direction, but stop or control the flow in the opposite direction.
  4. 4
    One of the leaves of a folding door or of a window sash.
  5. 5
    A vacuum tube.
  6. 6
    One of the pieces into which certain fruits naturally separate when they dehisce.
  7. 7
    A small portion of certain anthers, which opens like a trapdoor to allow the pollen to escape, such as in the barberry.
  8. 8
    One of the pieces or divisions of bivalve or multivalve shells.
  9. 9
    One of the two similar portions of the shell of a diatom.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. open the valve
  2. close the valve

Etymology

From Middle English valve, from Latin valva (“double door, valve”). Doublet of valva.

This word in other languages

válvula(Español)clapet(Français)Ventil(Deutsch)válvula(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • avlve
  • valev
  • vallve
  • valvve
  • vavle
  • vlave
  • vvalve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

avlve2valev2vallve1valvve1vavle2vlave2vvalve1
Edit distance from "valve"

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 "valve"?
"valve" is spelled V-A-L-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvælv/.
What does "valve" mean?
As a noun, "valve" means: A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a space, such as a pipe, manifold, or plenum.
What words are commonly confused with "valve"?
"valve" is commonly confused with "vile", "vase", "vape". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "valve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "valve" is /ˈvælv/. 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 "valve"?
From Middle English valve, from Latin valva (“double door, valve”). Doublet of valva. 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 "valve", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

theft#5,845seeks#5,836charm#5,863Putin#5,831

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Arabia7 variantsbanner7 variantsrookie7 variantscruel7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list