Allowed and Aloud
Allowed and aloud are English homonyms that often makes us confused. There’s no need for us to argue but we always misspell these homonyms. Regardless of whether you’re a native or non-native English speaker, people easily get confused by these two words. First is because they’re similar-sounding. Second, some are just simply unsure of what they mean. The words allowed and aloud are examples of English homonyms. This means they sound the same, but they have different spelling and meanings.
First, “allowed” is a verb, and “aloud” is an adjective. And we got you some perfect explanations to help you remember which word refers to what concepts, according to where they have their origins. We’ll show them to you in a minute.
Anyway, you should not confuse the words “aloud” and “allowed”. This is because we use one to describe something, a tone of voice, or its volume. In contrast, the second one is actually the past form of a verb which illustrates an action that happened in the past.
This time, we are going to discuss and learn the homonyms allowed and aloud. As speakers of English, it’s very important that we understand them since we can use these words in daily English conversation.
Carefully analyze the explanations below to establish clearly what “allowed” and “aloud” refer to and how to use them correctly to avoid doubts and confusions in your messages.
When do we use "allowed"?
As mentioned, allowed and aloud are two different terms in English grammar. However, this one might be even easier to remember because “allowed” is actually the past tense form for the verb “allow”. This verb tells the action of giving permission for something, which took place in the past.
For example:
She allowed them to enter the hall, even if they are minor.
They do not allow teenagers below 18 years old to drink alcohol in my country.
I allowed my son to eat ice cream because he’s been craving for it since last week.
When do we use "aloud"?
Besides being similar-sounding, the use of allowed and aloud is not the same in English. Why? This is simply because aloud functions as an adverb, as already mentioned. Clearly, the best way to remember its meaning is to look at its formation.
If you look at it, you’ll notice that “aloud” comes from the word “loud”. In English, we use “loud” as an adverb or adjective which refers to a sharp, high-volume noise. Therefore, we define aloud as “in a way that other people can hear”. Generally speaking, The word aloud is synonymous to the adverb “loudly”.
For example:
I am going to read the story aloud, so please listen.
Please sing that song aloud so they can hear you.
Mary could not stop herself from crying aloud.
Conclusion
In conclusion, analyzing the formation of allowed and aloud is important for us to easily know their difference. You should also check their meanings and use and spelling.
Shortly, “aloud” comes from the word “loud” which refers to the same thing, to a way that others can hear (loudly).
On the other hand, “allowed” is the past form of ‘allow’, a regular verb, referring to the action of giving permission.
