vote

/vəʊt/

//vəʊt// noun

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

"vote" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“vote” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #820 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#820
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A formalized choice on legally relevant measures such as employment or appointment to office or a proceeding about a legal dispute.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

vote vs vow
50% similar
vote vs vox
50% similar
vote vs votes
80% similar

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

Key facts for vote
PropertyValue
Headwordvote
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/vəʊt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#820
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vote” 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). vote 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 vote is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /vəʊt/. Corpus data places it at rank #820 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for vote, with forms such as "ovte", "voet", and "votte". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "vow", "vox", "votes", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin vōtum, a form of voveō (“I vow”) (cognate with Ancient Greek εὔχομαι (eúkhomai, “to vow”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁wegʷʰ- (“to promise, to vow”). Doublet of vow. The correct English form is vote, spelled V-O-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A formalized choice on legally relevant measures such as employment or appointment to office or a proceeding about a legal dispute.
  2. 2
    An act or instance of participating in such a choice, e.g., by submitting a ballot.
  3. 3
    An ardent wish or desire; a vow; a prayer.
  4. 4
    A formalized petition or request.
  5. 5
    Any judgment of intellect leading to a formal opinion, a point of view.
  6. 6
    Any judgment of intellect leading not only to a formal opinion but also to a particular choice in a legally relevant measure, a point of view as published.

Etymology

From Latin vōtum, a form of voveō (“I vow”) (cognate with Ancient Greek εὔχομαι (eúkhomai, “to vow”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁wegʷʰ- (“to promise, to vow”). Doublet of vow.

This word in other languages

votación(Español)voix(Français)Stimme(Deutsch)voto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ovte,voet,votte,vtoe,vvote

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ovte2voet2votte1vtoe2vvote1
Edit distance from "vote"

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 "vote"?
"vote" is spelled V-O-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /vəʊt/.
What does "vote" mean?
As a noun, "vote" means: A formalized choice on legally relevant measures such as employment or appointment to office or a proceeding about a legal dispute.
What words are commonly confused with "vote"?
"vote" is commonly confused with "vow", "vox", "votes". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vote"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vote" is /vəʊt/. 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 "vote"?
From Latin vōtum, a form of voveō (“I vow”) (cognate with Ancient Greek εὔχομαι (eúkhomai, “to vow”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁wegʷʰ- (“to promise, to vow”). Doublet of vow. 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 “vote”

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

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