If you’re ever uncertain about whether to use allowed or aloud, you’re not alone. They are confusing words since they have similar pronunciation. So which one is which? Well, allowed is the past form of the verb of the word allow which means to express permission, and aloud is an adverb meaning “audible.” Need more help in understanding the words’ distinct meanings and want practical tips? Read on.
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What Is Allowed?
Allowed, a verb or an adjective, is considered the past tense of the verb and the past participle of the verb allow. The word allow came about in Middle English. Then, it meant to command, sanction, or assign (as in a right). It came from the Old French lower, which came from the Latin allaudare.
If used as an adjective, allowed means “permitted” and “let happen.”
Example sentences:
- The teacher allowed us to take the exam again.
- We were not allowed to use mobile phones in the classroom.
- The pets were allowed to enter the house.
- We were allowed to enter the comedy show.
- The cracked window allowed the room to get cold.
- Last Friday, the judge allowed the attorney’s motion.
When and How to Use Allowed?
You can use allowed in both spoken and written English. As a verb, it means to permit something to happen. As an adjective, it describes something as permitted.
Tip: It’s important to note that allowing can be passive or active. You can actively give consent, or you can passively allow something by not doing or saying anything.
What Is Aloud?
Aloud is an adverb that means audible or loud enough to be heard. It’s been around in its present form since Middle English. In Old English, it was hlud, meaning “noisy or making noise.”
Example sentences:
- Don’t mind me; I’m just thinking aloud.
- All suggestions must be made aloud during the meeting.
- For their lyricism, some poems are best read aloud.
- Instead of submitting written remarks, you’ll need to present them aloud.
- He gathered the nerve to express his true feelings aloud.
When and How to Use Aloud?
You use the word aloud when you want to show that something is audible. Like allowed, it’s perfectly fine in both spoken and written communication. Keep in mind that aloud is not an adjective. If you say, “We had an aloud conversation,” that is wrong.
Tip: Read our aloud vs out loud guide for more examples.
What’s the Difference?
Allowed and aloud sound exactly alike but have different spellings and meanings, making them homophones.
Allowed is the past tense form of the verb allow. It can also be the past participle of allow. When you use allowed in a sentence, it means that you’ve permitted or tolerated something. On the other hand, aloud means that something is heard or expressed above a whisper. For example, one might ask two people whispering to say whatever it is aloud.
Tip: The regular past form of a verb or the past participle usually ends with the suffix –ed.
Trick to Remembering Which Word to Use
Now let’s look at some tricks to help you remember whether to use allowed or aloud:
- You can associate allowed with allow, its root word, which means to permit or to let happen.
- You can also associate allowed with allocated, which has a related meaning. If you are allocating supplies to people, you are allowing them a certain amount each. Since both words begin with allo, this tip might help.
- Two easy associations for aloud are loud and out loud. All three share loud in their spellings and have identical or similar meanings (high-volume noise).
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of commonly confused words. Hopefully, we’ve crossed out the words allowed or aloud off your list. Remember, allowed and aloud are similar-sounding words, but they’re different parts of speech with very different meanings. Allowed is a verb or adjective meaning “permitted,” and aloud is an adverb meaning “out loud.”
