waive

/weɪv/

//weɪv// verb

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

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

The verdict

“waive” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #21,411 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#21,411
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To relinquish (a right etc.); to give up claim to; to forgo.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

waive vs Wie
40% similar
waive vs WAV
0% similar
waive vs wife
60% similar

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

Key facts for waive
PropertyValue
Headwordwaive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/weɪv/
Letters5
Frequency rank#21,411
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “waive” 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). waive 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 waive is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /weɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #21,411 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for waive, with forms such as "awive", "waiev", and "waivve". 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, "Wie", "WAV", "wife", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English weyven (“to avoid, renounce”), from Anglo-Norman weyver (“to abandon, allow to become a waif”), from Old French waif (“waif”), from gaiver (“to abandon”), ultimately of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin; see weyver. The correct English form is waive, spelled W-A-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To relinquish (a right etc.); to give up claim to; to forgo.
  2. 2
    To relinquish (a right etc.); to give up claim to; to forgo.
  3. 3
    To put aside, avoid.
  4. 4
    To outlaw (someone).
  5. 5
    To abandon, give up (someone or something).

Etymology

From Middle English weyven (“to avoid, renounce”), from Anglo-Norman weyver (“to abandon, allow to become a waif”), from Old French waif (“waif”), from gaiver (“to abandon”), ultimately of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin; see weyver.

Synonyms

abandonabdicateabjurecededismissdisregarddissolveforgogive uplet goput asiderelinquishrenouncesurrenderterminateyield

Antonyms

acceptadmitapprovesubmit

This word in other languages

dispensar(Español)verzichten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: awive,waiev,waivve,wavie,wiave,wwaive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

awive2waiev2waivve1wavie2wiave2wwaive1
Edit distance from "waive"

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 "waive"?
"waive" is spelled W-A-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /weɪv/.
What does "waive" mean?
As a verb, "waive" means: To relinquish (a right etc.); to give up claim to; to forgo.
What words are commonly confused with "waive"?
"waive" is commonly confused with "Wie", "WAV", "wife". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "waive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "waive" is /weɪv/. 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 "waive"?
From Middle English weyven (“to avoid, renounce”), from Anglo-Norman weyver (“to abandon, allow to become a waif”), from Old French waif (“waif”), from gaiver (“to abandon”), ultimately of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin; see weyver. 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 “waive”

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

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